FAA and BTS Open Comment Windows on Aircraft Maintenance Data and Transportation Statistics

FAA: New Reporting Requirement for Overseas Heavy Maintenance

The Federal Aviation Administration has published a notice and request for comments on a proposed new information collection titled "Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvements," inviting public input through August 24, 2026. The collection has no associated forms and is pending an OMB control number (2120-XXXX).

The collection stems from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Pub. L. 118-63), enacted May 16, 2024, which added section 302(g), Data Analysis, to 49 U.S.C. 44733. That provision establishes reporting requirements intended, as the notice states, to improve FAA oversight of heavy maintenance performed on U.S.-registered aircraft at repair stations located outside the United States. Under the statutory framework, all 14 CFR part 121 air carriers that have heavy maintenance performed outside the United States by 14 CFR part 145 repair stations must submit an annual report to the FAA by the end of the following fiscal year.

The required report must include: the location where any heavy maintenance work was performed outside the United States; a description of the work performed at each such location; the date of completion at each location; a list of all failures, malfunctions, or defects affecting the safe operation of the aircraft identified by the air carrier no later than thirty days after the date on which an aircraft is returned to service, organized by aircraft registration number, that require corrective action after the aircraft is approved for return to service; results from such work performed; and the certificate number of the person approving the aircraft or on-wing aircraft engine for return to service following completion of work. The FAA states it will collect and analyze this information to detect safety issues associated with heavy maintenance work performed outside the United States.

The agency estimates the average burden per response at 229 hours and the estimated total annual burden at 14,427 hours across all respondents. The public is invited to comment on whether the collection is necessary for FAA's performance, the accuracy of the burden estimate, ways to enhance the quality and clarity of the collection, and ways to minimize burden without reducing the quality of information collected. The notice was issued in Houston, Texas on June 18, 2026, by Nelson E. Acosta, Aviation Safety Inspector, Aircraft Maintenance Division, Commercial Aviation Group.

BTS: Extended Comment Period on Data Portfolio Review

Separately, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics has extended the comment period for its Request for Information titled "Shaping the Future of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics," originally published in the Federal Register on June 1, 2026 (91 FR 32508). The original comment period was scheduled to close on July 2, 2026; BTS has now extended the deadline to July 31, 2026.

According to the notice, BTS received several requests to extend the comment period, and determined that an extension would allow interested parties additional time to provide robust and meaningful comments. The underlying RFI seeks public input to evaluate the utility of BTS's product portfolio, identify critical data gaps in the national transportation picture, and improve the user experience for all stakeholders. The extension notice was issued in Washington, DC on June 18, 2026, by Edward Strocko, Acting Director, Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

What to Watch

• July 31, 2026 — Deadline for comments on the BTS "Shaping the Future" RFI (91 FR 32508).
• August 24, 2026 — Deadline for comments on the FAA's proposed Global Aircraft Maintenance Safety Improvements information collection.