American, Allegiant In Spotlight As FAA Oversight Reviewed

A US Transportation Department review of the FAA’s oversight of airline maintenance will now concentrate on just Allegiant Air and American Airlines as inspectors “refocus” the audit.

The Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched a review of the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of US air carrier maintenance in June last year, but said it will now adjust the scope of the review and refocus on Allegiant and American.

During its initial audit work, the OIG found that in the case of the two airlines, the FAA had “moved its oversight strategy from emphasising enforcement actions to working with carriers to address the root causes for noncompliance of safety regulations.”

The relationships and information-sharing practices between airlines and their FAA oversight offices vary significantly, it said.

The review’s objectives will now be to assess the FAA’s processes for investigating allegations of improper maintenance practices at the two airlines, including its independent reviews and complaints procedure to see whether inspectors found similar discrepancies. It will also determine whether the FAA ensures that the two airlines implement effective corrective actions to address maintenance problems.

American Airlines said it was shocked to learn of the review and said it would work with the Inspector General. Allegiant said it welcomed the review.