United Airlines has confirmed they are working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following a recent string of safety incidents.
An increase in scrutiny by the US aviation regulator and the need for a focus on safety was addressed in a statement to airline employees last week.
“We have a strong safety culture at United,” said Sasha Johnson, Vice President Corporate Safety, United Airlines in a statement to workers on 22 March.
“Still, the number of safety-related events in recent weeks have rightfully caused us to pause and evaluate whether there is anything we can and should do differently.”
“After all, safety is foundational to the success of our airline and we can never take it for granted.”
United Airlines Oversight by FAA
Johnson emphasized United’s commitment to safety and their open communication with the FAA.
“As you’d expect, we’ve stepped up our interactions with the FAA recently and they echoed these sentiments,” Johnson continued.
“They agree that we need to take an even closer look at multiple areas of our operation to ensure we are doing all we can to promote and drive safety compliance.”
This collaboration will involve increased FAA presence at United facilities over the next few weeks. The FAA will review various aspects of the airline’s operations, including work processes, manuals, and facilities.
“We welcome their engagement and are very open to hear from them about what they find and their perspective on things we may need to change to make us even safer,” Johnson said.
Temporary Pause in Certification Activities
The FAA will also temporarily pause specific certification activities for United Airlines. These activities will vary depending on the work group involved, with details forthcoming from the FAA.
“Aviation safety is about learning and continuous improvement,” Johnson concluded. “At United, we will always remain open to ways we can further strengthen what we do for safety.”
Recent Safety Incidents
In the past few weeks, United Airlines has experienced a series of safety incidents involving their aircraft. These incidents have understandably raised concerns among passengers and the aviation community.
The recent events prompted United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby to issue a letter to customers. This made assurances that appropriate action would be taken to ensure safety.
Kirby stated that the March incidents “have our attention and have sharpened our focus.” The statement detailed corrective action which included “an extra day of in-person training for all pilots starting in May.”
It also set out the establishment of “a centralized training curriculum for our new-hire maintenance technicians”.
The recent advice of increased FAA oversight comes as an additional layer of checking in addition to the airline’s stated initiatives.
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