United Airlines told employees in a memo Friday that the Federal Aviation Administration will be scrutinizing United’s operations more closely in the coming weeks following a spate of recent safety incidents.
“As the FAA begins to review some of our work processes, manuals and facilities, we will see an increased FAA presence in our operations,” Sasha Johnson, the airline’s vice president of corporate safety, said in a memo. ” he said. “We welcome their involvement and would be happy to hear their views on what they discovered and what might need to change to make us even safer.”
In some of the accidents, which United Airlines says are unrelated, a plane veered off the runway, another plane arrived at its destination with a missing fuselage panel, and another plane lost a tire after takeoff. , the engine caught fire after swallowing the plastic packaging.
The FAA said in a statement that it “regularly” monitors airline operations. The agency said it is “focused on ensuring that airlines comply with applicable regulations.” Ability to identify hazards, assess risks, and mitigate risks. Manage safety effectively. ”
Johnson said in United’s memo that the agency “will also suspend various certification activities for a period of time.”
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby sought to reassure customers this week that the airline is taking safety seriously in the wake of the incident.
“We want you to know that these cases have come to our attention and are increasing our focus,” he said in an email to clients. “Our teams are reviewing the details of each case to understand what happened and are using those insights to inform safety training and procedures across all employee groups. ”
Experts caution against drawing sweeping conclusions from these episodes. Although these episodes are alarming, they are common in the airline industry and often go unreported by the media.