The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is to mandate drug and alcohol testing for staff at overseas repair providers performing safety-sensitive maintenance on US-registered aircraft.
The rule, which comes into force from December 2027, will require foreign repair stations to implement a drug and alcohol testing programme that meets the same regulations already governing US-based providers.
The plans generated mixed reactions from industry stakeholders when asked to comment by the FAA. Some, mostly US-based pilot and mechanic unions, have applauded the move as a necessary step towards a unified safety standard.
The US trade union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said: “It is a glaring and troubling loophole in the regulation that workers at domestic facilities must undergo extensive drug and alcohol testing while foreign mechanics working on US aircraft are exempt.”
Others have voiced concerns about the potential for regulatory burdens, implementation challenges, and conflicts with international agreements.
The UK Department for Transport (DoT) said that rules already existed to prevent drug and alcohol abuse among employees conducting aircraft maintenance. “The measures suggested…. are unnecessary and disproportionately burdensome with the potential to encroach on UK sovereignty,” said a DoT spokesperson.
In China, a number of maintenance organisations pointed out that “the People’s Republic of China has very strict management and control of the illegal use of drugs, forbidding any misuse of prohibited drugs.”
Specific examples of conflicts with local laws were cited, including restrictions on random drug and alcohol testing in countries like Germany, Ireland, and Israel.
A German MRO provider, Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH, said that testing employees for alcohol and drugs without concrete suspicion is not permitted under German local law.
MOOG Inc., a company manufacturing flight controls for commercial and military aircraft in Ireland, said that Irish law prohibits mandatory workplace drug and alcohol testing.
The FAA has responded by offering several pathways for compliance, which it said offers flexibility for foreign entities. These are:
- Foreign repair stations can choose to implement the same programme as US-based repair stations.
- They can request an exemption from the Department of Transportation if their country’s laws conflict with the regulations.
- Foreign governments can apply for a waiver on behalf of all repair stations in their territory based on the recognition of existing national requirements as a compatible alternative. Individual companies can also apply for a waiver on such grounds.
In the third pathway, the foreign government’s existing requirements must include effective testing protocols or established consequences to detect and deter alcohol misuse and drug use among employees performing safety-sensitive maintenance. Employees must receive training and education on the impact of drug use and alcohol misuse. Finally, there must be a method for rehabilitating employees who have violated drug and alcohol regulations to ensure their safe return to work.
The FAA, while acknowledging that the rule would have cost implications for foreign providers, insists that it will implement the requirement. In the meantime, it has pledged to work with foreign governments and industry stakeholders to ensure a smooth implementation process.


Foreign MRO providers could be subject to the same testing requirements as US-based companies, such as Lufthansa Technik Engine Services in Tulsa, Oklahoma.