By David Shepardson and Allison Lampert
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday that the agency will continue to attend meetings and engage with airlines on safety issues after an employee told air carriers that officials would not participate.
Airlines were notified on Tuesday by an FAA employee that agency employees would not take part in safety-related committee meetings, including on next-generation air traffic control issues and secondary barriers, according to an email seen by Reuters.
“This was an unauthorized communication sent by an employee,” an FAA spokesperson said late on Tuesday. “We will make sure that commitment is clear to everyone in the agency.”
Concerns over missing U.S. aviation expertise at key technical meetings raised alarm among some industry executives at a time when the country is reeling from its deadliest air disaster in more than 20 years, which killed 67 people.
Two industry sources told Reuters earlier in the day that FAA experts are not expected at some technical panels being held by the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
For example, it is unclear whether FAA officials will participate in an aircraft noise and emissions meeting later this month with ICAO’s multinational Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).
Planemakers and industry executives watch the CAEP group’s work, as it discusses potential standards for new aircraft.
An FAA official said there was no blanket prohibition on attending any events but it is not clear if FAA employees would attend specific ICAO events.
ICAO was not immediately available for comment.
Separately, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday called on the Homeland Security Department to reinstate members of a nonpartisan Aviation Security Advisory Committee that Trump disbanded.
(Reporting by David Shepardson and Allison Lampert; Editing by Leslie Adler and Aurora Ellis)
