FAA enforces drug testing overseas

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finalized rules mandating drug and alcohol testing for employees at foreign aviation-repair stations performing safety-sensitive maintenance for U.S. airlines. The regulation, effective by December 2027, will affect approximately 977 repair stations across 65 countries. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker explained: “This rule will ensure these employees are held to the equivalent high level of safety standards, regardless of where they are physically located.” The rule requires repair stations to electronically submit their testing data to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The FAA has been considering the issue for decades, but concerns have been raised regarding potential conflicts with privacy and employment laws in various countries. Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen said last year the proposal would close a “big safety gap,” observing “Airline mechanics in China and other lower-wage, lower-standard countries who work on U.S. commercial aircraft will have to undergo drug and alcohol testing – just like mechanics [in the U.S.].”