NTSB Upholds FAA Certificate Suspension

The FAA’s suspension about three months ago of the U.S. pilot certificates of two Saudi Arabian Airlines pilots after the Transportation Security Administration labeled them a security threat won’t be overturned. An NTSB administrative law judge declined to review the case. The Safety Board normally hears appeals from pilots whose certificates are suspended by the FAA, but those cases typically involve alleged violations of FARs. Since the FAA followed procedure that requires the suspension of certificates after being notified by the TSA that the certificate holder might be a security risk, the NTSB had no grounds for reversing the FAA’s action.