FAA steps up oversight at United as experts urge air travel remains safe

26.03.2024 - 17:47 / thepointsguy.com / Scott Kirby / Airlines

The start of 2024 has brought a barrage of concerning headlines about commercial air travel.

It started when an Alaska Airlines 737 Boeing MAX 9 jet lost a door plug midair, leaving a gaping emergency exit-size hole in the fuselage and reigniting quality control concerns over the jet's manufacturer that culminated in a major leadership shake-up at the plane-maker Monday.

Now, the Federal Aviation Administration is also heightening its attention on United Airlines following a string of recent maintenance incidents.

At the same time, top industry safety experts urge that, despite the recent turbulence, passengers should feel safe flying.

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In recent days, the FAA informed United it would increase its oversight of the Chicago-based carrier "due to recent safety events."

Over the last month, United aircraft have been involved in some high-profile incidents that, while concerning in nature, have not led to any passenger injuries.

One aircraft slid off a runway in Houston. Another jet lost a tire after takeoff in San Francisco. One made an emergency landing in Los Angeles due to a hydraulics system issue. And still another was found to be missing an external panel covering mechanical equipment after a recent flight.

The spate of problems prompted United CEO Scott Kirby to pen a letter to customers last week, promising a heightened focus on safety.

Then, in a letter sent to staff Friday, the carrier's top safety leader acknowledged the company had "stepped up" interactions with the FAA, noting the agency planned to "take an even closer look at multiple areas of our operation."

"As part of this effort, the FAA will also pause a variety of certification activities for a period of time," wrote Sasha Johnson, United's vice president for corporate safety.

An FAA spokesperson further acknowledged its inquiry into United in a statement to TPG Monday, noting that the agency will allow ongoing certification activities (think: aircraft, products, etc.) to continue but said "future projects may be delayed" based on what the agency finds.

Over the weekend, Bloomberg was first to report that the FAA has discussed halting, temporarily, United's ability to launch new routes for which it has yet to begin selling tickets, or perhaps delaying its ability to fly paying customers on newly delivered aircraft.

Neither the agency nor the airline could comment specifically on those potential measures. However, 30-year FAA veteran Michael McCormick, who once led the agency's critical New York air traffic control center (including on Sept. 11, 2001), told TPG that such limits on United's growth — if ultimately employed by the FAA — would be largely