The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is contemplating additional provisional operational restrictions against United Airlines, sources close to the situation disclosed to CBS News.
This development follows after United Airlines informed its employees of potential actions in a letter released on Friday. The FAA’s consideration comes in the wake of several alarming incidents involving United Airlines’ aircraft in the past month, including a situation where a wheel detached from a Boeing 777, and another incident where a panel became dislodged from an older Boeing 737.
Among the temporary actions under discussion, one includes prohibiting United Airlines from initiating new routes for which ticket sales have not commenced. Another measure being considered would permit the airline to acquire new aircraft but would restrict it from using these new planes for commercial operations that involve transporting fare-paying passengers.
Additionally, there’s contemplation over temporarily disallowing United’s check airmen from certifying new captains, a process typically conducted internally by airlines.
Despite these discussions, sources have emphasized that the deliberations within the FAA might not lead to any definitive actions, implying that the aforementioned measures may not be implemented. United Airlines has stated that it has not received any final decision from the FAA, indicating that the internal discussions within the FAA may still be in progress.
FAA Has Discussions with United CEO Scott Kirby
In a statement to CBS News on Saturday, the FAA outlined its stance, saying, “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.
Certification activities in process may be allowed to continue, but future projects may be delayed based on findings from oversight. The FAA will also initiate an evaluation of United Airlines under the provisions of the Certificate Holder Evaluation Process.”
Furthermore, in a recent interview with NBC News, FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker revealed that he had a conversation with United CEO Scott Kirby the previous weekend regarding the recent incidents.