ARSA Opens Policy Platform with Conference Kickoff
WASHINGTON – On March 12, a small group of senior aviation maintenance industry professionals participated in a series of collaborative discussions with high-ranking officials from U.S. federal agencies.
The meetings were part of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association’s “Executive to Executive Briefings” series where industry leaders have face-to-face discussions with government officials responsible for matters impacting aviation, manufacturing and international commerce. “E2E”, which was first hosted by ARSA in 2018, served as the official kick-off of the association’s 2019 Annual Conference.
Representing multinational corporations, family-owned small businesses, aircraft parts manufacturers, service providers and industry experts, each participant attended on behalf of a conference sponsor. They spent the day crisscrossing the capital city, making stops at the Departments of State, Commerce and Transportation as well as participating in a roundtable discussion with the Federal Aviation Association hosted by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association at its downtown offices. The day concluded with a special briefing by John Taladay, antitrust and competition law practice group chair for global law firm Baker Botts and counsel to the International Air Transportation Association in its landmark competition agreement with engine manufacturer CFM International.
“Putting together a day like this takes a lot of footwork, horse-trading and coordination,” said ARSA Executive Vice President Christian A. Klein, the association’s chief manager for the E2E Briefings. “Seeing it come together is incredibly satisfying and drives home the necessity of personal engagement with the government. Filling a room with the [aviation maintenance] sector’s most-committed leaders and providing them an open platform to interact with American policy leaders is essential to managing the intersection of business and government.”
Klein highlighted a series of specific topics covered throughout the day, including the impacts of politics on safety oversight – particularly related to the U.S. government shutdowns as well as the impending departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The multi-national group of industry executives also commented on international market factors and workforce development challenges while providing feedback to the government regarding potential policy mitigations to support industry growth and to protect the global flying public.
“A day of intensive policy discussion is really a great way to begin a [four-day long] industry conference,” Klein concluded. “The work of today’s focused group of professionals will continue to blossom through Friday.”
Having completed its “E2E” day, ARSA will host members for a day of legislative engagement on Wednesday, March 13 before closing out the week with two days of regulatory and business content presented through its traditional Annual Repair Symposium. For conference updates throughout the week, visit arsa.org/conference.
In addition to ARSA’s personnel, the following organizations were represented at the E2E briefings:
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ARSA is the only association devoted to the unique needs of the global civil aviation maintenance industry. It is dedicated to helping member companies operate more efficiently and effectively, while continuing to ensure the safety of aircraft worldwide. To learn more about the association’s work on behalf of both industry stakeholders and the flying public, please visit ARSA.org.
