It is not clear if the increased oversight by the FAA will see the expected 2024 flights to St. Vincent by United Airlines put on hold. Efforts to gather more information from authorities here have been futile so far.
The Federal Aviation Administration cautioned on Saturday that heightened scrutiny of United Airlines, following a run of almost a dozen accidents on flights this month, may force the embattled airline to put some of its future plans on hold.
The FAA did not specify which future projects might be delayed by its study, but Bloomberg reported on Saturday that the agency is considering prohibiting United Airlines from adding new routes, consequently slowing the airline’s expansion.
In late March, Sandals Executive Chairman Adam Stewart announced at the launch of the company’s newest resort in SVG that United Airlines and JetBlue would begin flying to St. Vincent this year.
“Due to recent safety events, the FAA is increasing oversight of United Airlines to ensure that it is complying with safety regulations, identifying hazards and mitigating risk, and effectively managing safety,” a representative for the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “Certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight.”
The FAA also said that it would conduct an evaluation of the company’s safety management and compliance.
The civil aviation authority’s increased scrutiny comes after a United Boeing 737-800 landed in Medford, Oregon, without an exterior panel on March 15.
While no passengers were wounded, this was only one of several recent incidents on United flights involving Boeing jets. In the same month, another United Boeing 737 emitted flames from its engine after takeoff; one slid off the runway; one lost a wheel before takeoff; and another left a trail of hydraulic fluid.
In a Friday memo, United informed staff that they would notice “more of an FAA presence in our operation as they begin to review some of our work processes, manuals, and facilities.”
United stated that the FAA’s review would result in a “even closer look at multiple areas of our operation to ensure we are doing everything we can to promote and drive safety compliance.”
United’s problems coincide with increased safety worries surrounding Boeing, the maker of the majority of the airline’s jets.
