The US Federal Aviation Administration has extended the original February 11 comment period for comments on its proposed air carrier contract maintenance requirements rules to March 13.
The proposed rules would change the maintenance regulations for domestic, flag and supplemental operations, and commuter and on-demand operations for aircraft type certified with 10 or more passenger seats (excluding any pilot seat).
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said in its response: “While it was the FAA Modernization Act of 2012 that sparked this NPRM, the FAA has gone beyond the scope of what the statute requires. Section 319 of the act requires the FAA to issue regulations for Part 121 operators. There is no mandate to require similar regulations for Part 135 operators, nor is there a requirement in the act for the proposed list of maintenance providers. NATA is concerned that the NPRM does not adequately justify the inclusion of Part 135 ten-or-more-seat operators in this rulemaking. NATA believes that the FAA must consider the unique aspects of Part 135 air carrier operations or limit a final rule on this matter to Part 121 air carriers as required by the act.”
