Aviation safety oversight has not kept pace with changes in the US airline industry that include bankruptcies at big carriers and a surge in low-cost business, a transportation watchdog said on Wednesday.
A two year probe by the Transportation Department's Office of Inspector General concluded the Federal Aviation Administration has not adequately used technology to detect risks and that front line inspectors are not fully up to date on financial pressures that can affect airline operations.
In fact, some of the financial data on carriers was neither current nor accurate, the investigation found.
"While there has not been a fatal accident involving a large passenger air carrier in over three years, there have been incidents related to changes occurring in the industry that may be precursors to potentially more serious incidents," the inspector general's report said.
Senior FAA officials called the findings anecdotal and overreaching. "This is the safest period in aviation history," said FAA spokesman Greg Martin. "We strongly disagree because we change the way we do business as the industry changes."
Since the September 11, 2001 hijack attacks accelerated the industry's worst-ever financial downturn, big airlines have lost more than USD$30 billion. United Airlines and US Airways are in bankruptcy, while Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines warned Congress this week they could seek court protection.
Over the past four years, big airlines have retired and stored hundreds of planes, cut thousands of workers and consolidated maintenance and other operations to save money.
At the same time, low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines have grown and moved aggressively from the edges of the business into the heart of major cities, taking lucrative routes to seize market share from bigger rivals.
"These changes have resulted in a significantly different air carrier industry, which requires a dynamic oversight process to ensure safety is maintained," the IG's report said.
Investigators noted pilots and flight crews work more hours under restructured contracts that seek billions of dollars in savings. Aircraft are turned around faster at airports and used for more hours during the day to boost efficiency. More maintenance is being performed at night or outsourced, testing inspector staffing and planning.
The report also found the FAA has not effectively used high-tech oversight systems to analyze data and prioritize inspections. "This is a significant concern in light of the fact that FAA is expected to lose about 300 aviation safety inspectors this year and only plans to replace 97," the report said.
In addition, the FAA needs to pay closer attention to growth in airline operations. For instance, one carrier dramatically increased its fleet size and operations between 2000 and 2003 but reduced its maintenance work force.
"FAA did not identify the increase in flights and reduction in mechanics as risks or evaluate the impact this growth and change had on the air carrier's maintenance and operations," the report said.
It also found that FAA personnel did not complete 26 percent of planned inspections in 2003 at five big airlines, more than half of which were deemed a priority. At the time, the airlines were slashing costs and shifting operations.
