Today hosted the first summit of aircraft maintenance outsourcing in Washington D.C.

Organized by the Teamsters Union and the Business Travelers Coalition this meeting of the minds introduced a subject that has grown in staggering proportions in the last decade.

As all of us in the Maintenance industry know, the FAA, NTSB and the industry in general are truly concerned about aviation safety.  It also goes without saying that the airlines of the world are not in the best financial shape.  There is a fine line between the perfect world where safety is above all and the real business model companies have to follow.

Everyone understands why companies are moving work overseas…money.  The issue we as technicians need to push is exposing the general public to the loop holds these foreign repair stations are able to use.  The lack of environmental oversight, trained licensed technicians actually doing the work and language issues make overseas contractors just dangerous.

If the general public was made aware of the issues mentioned in this summit they would most certainly agree that their safety and the safety of their family traveling 30,000 feet above the earth warrants the best technician’s money can buy working on their ride.

This issue should be at the top of all unions!  This exposure will not only open the public’s eyes and demand the air carriers to do maintenance in-house, but will also allow our profession to demand better paying jobs.  The general public expects good work and will agree that to get good work you need to pay good wages.

PlaneDoctor.com is proud to make available video excerpts and press releases of this summit.  Access the national summit on aircraft maintenance outsourcing here.