Watchdog Says FAA Lacks Resources to Properly Oversee United Airlines
Gizmodo • • business
Key Points:
- The U.S. Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) found the FAA’s oversight of United Airlines’ maintenance practices insufficient, citing inadequate staffing and training among inspectors.
- The audit, initiated after multiple safety incidents involving United aircraft, revealed that the United Certificate Management Office (CMO) has only four inspectors for over 520 Boeing 737s, leading to heavy workloads and reduced safety surveillance.
- The FAA has not fully implemented five prior recommendations from 2019 aimed at strengthening oversight, and inspectors have sometimes conducted virtual inspections due to resource constraints, contrary to FAA guidance.
- The OIG issued six recommendations to the FAA, including addressing staffing shortages, with the FAA agreeing to five but only partially concurring on
