FAA tightens the belt on inspections

It all started with the Southwest debacle, where the airline suddenly found itself facing a $10 million plus lawsuit from the Federal Aviation Administration for not performing routine maintenance checks on time, the deadline having been forewarned two years previous. THE publicity surrounding the case exposed the FAA’s own faults, as it came under fire for giving preferential treatment to airline and nurturing close relationships that would see perks exchanged instead of taking a hard line on safety as they are supposed to.

The ensuing publicity and the other airlines performing emergency inspections that left thousands of passengers stranded to prove their point have created a bit of a mess for the American aviation industry. This week Transportation secretary mary Peters said that when field inspectors miss inspections, top officials at FAA headquarters will be notified. Peters said she didn’t see the measures taken by airlines in the wake of the scandal as excessive, but she admitted changes had to be made in many areas of the system.

www.southwest.com