The Transportation Department and the Federal Aviation Administration do not track imports of plane parts, creating serious vulnerabilities that could increase the risk of supply chain disruptions, according to a new report by the department's internal watchdog.
The DOT and FAA are not required to track aviation imports, but the "COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in the aviation supply chain and highlighted the need for Federal intervention to address associated vulnerabilities," the Transportation Department Inspector General wrote in a report published last week.
"We identified several vulnerabilities that increase the risk of aviation supply chain disruptions," the IG reported, "Including the lack of visibility into supply chains, dependence on sole-source or limited suppliers, and lack of access to rare earth metals and elements."
The report came in response to a request from Republicans on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and its Aviation Subcommittee after members asked in April 2021 how the agency tracks critical aircraft imports and the number of aviation parts produced exclusively in China or India.
Overall, France is the leading source of U.S. imports of aviation products, with 24% of the total.
Because of the COVID pandemic, demand for air travel decreased, causing a corresponding decrease in the need for aviation products and an additional supply chain disruption, according to the watchdog.
At an Aviation Subcommittee hearing on safety in March of 2021, the panel's top Republican, Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, expressed concerns about COVID's effects on the aviation industry.
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