FAA Will Issue Part 147 Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

Update: The following post was published in September 2017. As of December 2017, the FAA has not yet issued the expected supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking for part 147. Agency officials have stated that the rulemaking is still in progress and is expected to publish "soon."

The aviation maintenance technician school docket was recently revised to include a second NPRM in its regulatory plan timetable. According to the revision, a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNPRM) will be published in October 2017.

An SNPRM is generally issued when a proposed rule has been substantially changed from the original notice of proposed rulemaking. The supplemental notice advises the public of the revised proposal and provides an opportunity for additional comment.

Given developments with Airman Certification Standards since the original NPRM was issued, and strong comments by ATEC and other industry groups calling for a less prescriptive rule with opportunity for competency-based training systems, the council is optimistic that the revised proposal will provide a better framework for aviation maintenance school programs.

While the additional step will likely delay promulgation, ATEC is confident that another round of review and comment will help ensure the next iteration of part 147 will last the test of time. Stay tuned.