TSA To Inspect Jet Repair Shops Under New Proposal

Thousands of airplane maintenance shops in the U.S. and abroad would get increased scrutiny to make sure they are not easy prey for terrorists looking to sabotage U.S. jets during routine repairs, a government proposal says.

Some experts and lawmakers have warned for years about potential terrorist saboteurs infiltrating airplane repair shops, and have urged security oversight. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says the greatest danger is posed by repair shops that are on or next to airports because a terrorist could take control of an airplane.

A TSA regulation proposed Monday would for the first time enable the agency to inspect airplane repair shops. If the TSA found a problematic repair shop, the agency would tell the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend the shop’s operating license.

TSA Assistant Administrator Lee Kair said the new requirement “guards against the potential threat of an aircraft being destroyed or used as a weapon.” The agency is soliciting public comments on the proposal and could finalize it later this year.

Airplanes ranging from small recreational planes to wide-body jets are repaired at more than 4,200 shops across the U.S. as well as at 700 shops abroad, in countries such as France, Germany, Singapore, Egypt and Jordan.

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L.A. Port Launches Surprise Inspections

Local, State and Federal agents launched surprise inspections at the Los Angeles/Long Beach Port Complex Thursday. The ultimate goal: to keep the country safe.The Multi Agency Strike Force Operation carries out the inspections several times throughout the year.

The agents inspect containers, commercial trucks, trains and port facilities. The strike force was created to help ensure traffic management, commercial truck safety and homeland security issues.According to the agency, the Los Angeles/Long Beach Port Complex handles more than 80 percent of the goods that enter the United States from the Pacific Rim. That amounts to about $200 billion in annual trade.

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