United Airlines announced late Friday that U.S. safety regulators will increase scrutiny of the company following a series of recent safety incidents.
Sasha Johnson, United’s vice president of corporate safety, said in a memo that employees will be working with United Airlines over the next few weeks “as we begin to review some of our business processes, manuals and facilities. It will make the station’s presence even more felt.” ”
The Chicago-based airline has experienced several emergencies over the past two weeks. On March 15, an FAA investigation began after an exterior panel was found missing from a United plane that landed in Oregon.
Prior to that incident, a Boeing 737 MAX operated by United Airlines rolled onto a lawn in Houston. A Boeing 777-200 operated by United Airlines bound for Japan also lost a tire after taking off from San Francisco, diverted to Los Angeles, and landed safely.
Johnson’s memo said the incident “naturally caused us to pause and consider whether there is anything we could or should have done differently.” “We welcome engagement and are very open to hearing their views on what they have discovered and their views on what we are doing,” he added. Changes may be necessary to make us even safer. ”
On Tuesday, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Reuters the agency would look into United more closely, and United CEO Scott Kirby said: “As we investigate these… , I know I’ll be engaging with them a little more closely.”
Asked for comment on the United Airlines memo, the FAA said Friday that it “regularly monitors compliance with applicable regulations and all aspects of airline operations.” Ability to identify hazards, assess risks, and mitigate risks. Manage safety effectively. ”
Aircraft manufacturer Boeing has come under increasing scrutiny since the Alaska Airlines mid-air emergency on January 5, with investigations into the safety and quality standards of its manufacturing processes.
Asked about the number of aviation accidents receiving more attention, Whitaker said that while some of the events that are reported are not necessarily unusual, the FAA is working to make sure there are no broader safety trends. He said he was investigating.
“It’s important to try to separate the signal from the noise,” Whitaker said. This system works well because it has a lot of built-in redundancy and resiliency. ”
