The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has concluded its review of United Airlines and found no major safety issues.
The enhanced oversight process, which was originally opened by the US aviation regulator in March, has now concluded.
United Airlines Review Concludes
On Wednesday 2 September, the FAA issued a brief statement, saying: “The FAA finished its Certificate Holder Evaluation Program (CHEP) of United Airlines. The review did not identify any significant safety issues.”
The FAA review came after a series of safety incidents involving United Airlines earlier this year. The agency initiated the evaluation to ensure the airline’s compliance with safety regulations. This meant a period of closer regulatory scrutiny for the airline.
A String of Incidents
Operational incidents which had drawn the attention of the agency included tire and wheel detachments.
One such event saw a vehicle in an adjacent carpark damaged by a detached mainwheel after a Boeing 777-200 takeoff in San Francisco. In July, a wheel detached from a Boeing 757-200 during its takeoff roll in Los Angeles.
A landing incident in February saw the rudder pedals on a United Airlines Boeing 737-8 “stuck” in their neutral position. This occurred during the aircraft’s landing rollout at Newark Liberty International Airport, Newark, New Jersey.
This incident led to an NTSB investigation which identified manufacturing problems with a rudder actuator, affecting some 737 MAX and 737NG variants.
The NTSB criticized the FAA in a letter this week, citing the agency’s poor communication in not appropriately advising United Airlines of the rudder problem.
Conclusion
The satisfactory findings of the FAA’s investigation effectively mean that United can continue its normal operations without additional oversight.
While the FAA found no significant safety issues, it’s important to note that the airline will continue to be subject to regular inspections and checks.
United Airlines have not made comment on the review or its findings at the time of writing.
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