FAA Safety Audit Triggers Investigations of Four Airlines
Travel Blog • Michael Yessis • 04.03.08 | 9:38 AM ET
Ever since Southwest grounded more than 40 planes last month, the safety practices of the entire U.S. airline industry have come under scrutiny. Flights have been delayed and canceled, as planes across the country have been pulled in for inspection. Yesterday, a federal audit revealed that four unnamed major U.S. airlines are under investigation for not complying with federal safety directives.
The news comes in advance of a Congressional hearing today, which House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.) promises will focus on the issues with Southwest’s fleet and those of other airlines, as well as the FAA, which has been accused of being “too cozy with the airlines.”
Robert A. Sturgell, the acting head of the FAA, tried to reassure understandably jittery travelers. According to the Washington Post, he said federal inspectors “found that airlines were complying with 99 percent of the directives.”
Of course, it’s that 1 percent that’s worrisome.
Related on World Hum:
* About Those Southwest Planes: ‘Is it Really as Bad as it Sounds?’
Photo by dmealiffe via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
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Michael Yessis is the cofounder and coeditor-in-chief of World Hum.
bonnie 04.04.08 | 2:41 PM ET
Safety first but are consumers ready to pay more for flights? the airlines are
feeling the fuel crunch more than most. An average airplane such as a 757/767 takes about 60,000 pounds of kerosene(gas)to fly from New York to Los Angeles. That’s about 9,000 gallons of gas @ $3.26 a gallon or $30,000 dollars per flight. Is it no wonder that Aloha & ATA have filed for bankruptcy in the past 2 weeks? Is it no wonder that most of the major airlines have filed for bankruptcy in the past 5 years. United; Delta; Northwest; US Air; COM Air; ASA and the list goes on some like Continental have filed several times.
It’s a no win situation. Fuel costs more but consumers don’t want to pay more for flights thus the airlines have to find a way to stay out of bankruptcy and are cutting back on services. When was the last stateside flight you flew on that served anything to eat besides peanuts & crackers? Not only are they cutting back on the food service but are out sourcing
their maintenance thus saving money. It is cheaper to outsource work than hire qualified mechanics to do the work. Not only are the qualified mechanics being replaced the airlines are not paying their pilots what they are worth so the only pilots available are the ones who have around 1500 hours in a Cessna type airplane. Is this really what consumers want? Airlines can cut back on services such as meals and not jeopardize safety, but when it comes to cutting back on the experienced mechanics & pilots, I want the most qualified flying and working on the airplane I am flying.
Advisor 04.10.08 | 8:41 PM ET
Solution to airline problem:
Solution: a World-class High-speed rail system (bullet trains). (GAO-02-185)