A new government report finds the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) system for inspecting airlines is failing to adequately police the industry's safety practices, particularly the increasingly common use of outsourced maintenance.
Contracting out maintenance was originally used almost exclusively by newer, low-cost carriers but over the last few years, major carriers have embraced the practice as well. JetBlue, Southwest, America West, Northwest and United are among the carriers who outsource major maintenance of their aircraft to contractors in other countries.
The Transportation Department's Inspector General also expressed concern the FAA was not adequately watching the airlines' struggles to cope with bankruptcies, pressure to cut costs and the feverish competition with low-cost carriers.
The report also suggests that the rise of low-cost carriers has put increased emphasis on quick turnaround times -- getting flights in and out quickly -- leaving less time for maintenance while planes are on the ground.
The FAA disputed the report's findings and noted that there has not been a single fatal crash involving a large airliner in more than three years. The agency also insisted its inspectors have not found any significant increase in maintenance-related problems caused by outsourcing.
The report noted that, as turnaround times lessen, more maintenance must be performed at night, when planes are not in use, even though only 3 percent of the FAA's inspectors work at night.
"FAA has made progress in implementing risk based oversight systems, but these systems were not flexible and comprehensive enough to permit FAA to adequately monitor the changes in the industry," the report said. "FAA is facing extraordinary budgetary challenges and expects to lose some of its safety inspectors; therefore, it is imperative that FAA have well-planned and well-executed oversight programs."
The report said the FAA should:
(1) strengthen its oversight and monitoring of its field offices to ensure inspectors conduct their inspections in a timely and consistent manner;
(2) refine its risk assessment, inspection planning, and data analyses process so they are more comprehensive and flexible;
(3) determine if it can make enough efficiency gains in its operations to sustain the planned cuts of 233 safety inspectors beyond 2005.
The complete text of the report is available online.
