The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that increased scrutiny of United Airlines, following a spate of safety incidents earlier in the year, is still ongoing, despite the carrier appearing to suggest the situation had been improving.
On May 15, 2024, United Airlines told employees that it had “good news” to share regarding new aircraft and routes, following the FAA’s decision to delay some certification activities related to the carrier.
“Today, we got some good news: after a careful review and discussion about the proactive safety steps United has taken to date, our FAA Certificate Management Office has allowed us to begin the process of restarting our certification activities, including new aircraft and routes, and we will continue to coordinate closely with the FAA,” United told staff members.
However, on May 16, 2024, the FAA stated it had not yet “approved any expansion of United Airlines’ routes or fleets”.
“The certificate holder evaluation program that the FAA is conducting for United is ongoing and safety will determine the timeline for completing it,” the FAA added.
Despite the seeming discrepancies between the two sides, it appears that United was sharing with colleagues that it was beginning the process of restarting certification activities, rather than anything formal being in place as yet.
“We will continue to see an FAA presence in our operation as they review our work processes, manuals and facilities,” United added in its memo to staff.
Either way, it is clear that United feels progress has been made since the FAA increased its oversight of the airline in March 2024.
Among the most high-profile safety incidents that led to the FAA’s increased scrutiny of United was a Boeing 777-200 that lost a tire shortly after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) on March 7, 2024, and a Boeing 737 MAX 8 that veered off the runway at Houston-George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) on March 8, 2024.
In a message to United customers on March 18, 2024, United CEO Scott Kirby said that the incidents “have our attention and have sharpened our focus”.
