Court Reviewing ARSA Request To Extend D&A Compliance Deadline

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit is reviewing a filing prepared by ARSA and its legal team that underscores why the FAA's new drug and alcohol (D&A) testing program rule's compliance date should be pushed back nine months. The filing (.pdf), made Oct. 17, is in response to an FAA filing (.pdf) made last week arguing against the extension. Both filings are related to the court's October 11 interim order that gave both parties a chance to state their cases relative to ARSA's request to extend the compliance date nine months, to July 10, 2007. The order also pushed the D&A rule's compliance date back 10 days, to Oct. 20.

The FAA on September 28 rejected ARSA's request for a nine-month extension of the compliance deadline. ARSA then turned to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which issued the interim order, including the 10-day extension, so it could consider ARSA's request. ARSA is asking for nine-month extension so the court will have time to rule on the Association's March 10 lawsuit arguing that the regulation should be sent back to the FAA.

For more information on the new D&A rule, issued January 10, click here.