Southwest Agreed to Pay FAA for Inspector’s Time
#16
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,511
Where did the money go?
The whole thing defies logic. Even shutting down the government defies logic. As mentioned, plenty still went to work anyways. (my tongue is now bleeding as I work hard not to get political)
Still - just trying to figure this out. Normally, the FAA inspects planes and deems them airworthy. Inspectors not available due to "shutdown". But, somehow a check makes it happen. The worker still did not get paid. Eventually the FAA gets the federal funding to be operational. Eventually they pay the worker.
Where does that check from SWest go?
The whole thing defies logic. Even shutting down the government defies logic. As mentioned, plenty still went to work anyways. (my tongue is now bleeding as I work hard not to get political)
Still - just trying to figure this out. Normally, the FAA inspects planes and deems them airworthy. Inspectors not available due to "shutdown". But, somehow a check makes it happen. The worker still did not get paid. Eventually the FAA gets the federal funding to be operational. Eventually they pay the worker.
Where does that check from SWest go?
The $3,150 may never come due. The invoice hasn't been sent to Dallas, according to the WSJ. It's called a "reimbursable agreement."
AA was able to add four new aircraft to its officially registered fleet during the shutdown. But never entered into a reimbursable agreement.
#17
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And, if people can pay for a government service while the government is shut down - why not let citizens pay to visit the Smithsonian? (just one random example)
#18
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Calling it a paid vacation is pretty dickish, you know. A lot of employees worked the whole time, plus had to work harder to cover things furloughed employees would have done. Both essential and furloughed employees went a month without paychecks. Many have a lot of extra work to do playing catchup now that things are back in business, and all are worried about facing another round of this crap in a couple weeks. Paid vacation implies that furloughed folks should be grateful for their time on the beach. Complain about the government spending money on nothing, sure, but don't pretend that the employees made out like bandits during the shutdown.
#19
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,511
Most of these answers can be found via Google.
#20
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ATL
Programs: Delta PlM, 1M
Posts: 6,363
And apparently Delta offered to cut a check to the FAA to keep them working on the approval of the Airbus 220 to enter service to meet the original certification timeline, but the FAA declined that payment because it was a more complex certification situation than what Southwest had.
#21
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 158
Reimbursable Agreements are quite common in the industry. There are a great deal of them between FAA and airports, a quick google will pop up a bunch. One common RA occurs when an airport is doing construction work that might affect a FAA NAVAID facility (ILS LOC or GS). The airport will pay FAA to support, inspect, maintain, protect etc. the work in those affected areas.
#23
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Blue Ridge, GA
Posts: 5,511
FAA Reimbursable Agreements