FAA Changes IA Renewal Requirement to Two Years

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is amending the regulations for the Inspection Authorization (IA) renewal period. The current IA regulation has a one-year renewal period. This rulemaking changes the renewal period to once every two years. By changing the renewal period, renewal administrative costs will be reduced by 50 percent for both the FAA and the mechanic holding the IA. Aviation safety will not be affected because this rulemaking does not change the requirements of the prior rule for annual activity: including work performed, training, or oral examination.

The amendment to § 65.92(a) changes the expiration date of an inspection authorization from March 31 of each year to March 31 of each oddnumbered year.

The rulemaking is in response to concerns regarding the administrative burden associated with the renewal of inspection authorizations under § 65.93 and is effective immediately.

Comments are due on or before March 1, 2007, and should be identified by the docket number FAA-2007-27108. Comments may be submitted on the DOT Docket Web site at http://dms.dot.gov/, by mail or hand delivery at Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street SW, Nassif Building Room PL-401, Washington, D.C. 20590-0001, or by facsimile at 202-493-2251. For further information contact Kim Barnette, of the FAA’s Airmen and Avionics Branch, by telephone at (202) 493–4922, or email at kim.barnette@faa.gov.

To view the final ruling visit http://dmses.dot.gov/docimages/pdf100/446139_web.pdf