A government watchdog says the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of United Airlines’ maintenance practices is “insufficient to oversee safety risks.”
The Transportation Department’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) said it launched its audit in 2024 following several safety incidents involving United aircraft, including in-flight engine shutdowns and emergency landings. The review is part of a broader series examining FAA oversight of airline maintenance and compliance. Past audits have examined other carriers including Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines.
The report published on Wednesday says the FAA does not have enough inspectors to oversee United effectively. It also found the agency has not fully implemented five recommendations issued in 2019 to strengthen oversight by the United Certificate Management Office (CMO), which is one of the several FAA offices responsible for certifying, inspecting, and monitoring major airlines. The watchdog further found inspectors have not been adequately trained to access and evaluate airline safety management system data.
Among the report’s most significant concerns is how stretched thin inspectors overseeing United have become. The watchdog found the United CMO does not have enough staff to monitor the airline’s growing fleet, contributing to heavier workloads, turnover, and vacancies that have led to a loss of institutional knowledge.
The United CMO has just four inspectors assigned to oversee more than 520 Boeing 737s, the majority of the carrier’s fleet, forcing staff from other aircraft programs to help fill the gap. While this technically meets FAA rules, the report says it is not sufficient to carry out all required safety surveillance.
The OIG also found that when inspectors could not conduct on-site inspections due to limited resources, they sometimes performed them virtually rather than postponing them as FAA guidance requires.
The watchdog made six recommendations to the FAA, including developing a plan to address staffing shortages.
The FAA agreed with five of the report’s recommendations. It only “partially concurred” with one urging the agency to develop a policy for when inspections can be postponed, arguing that such guidance already exists, though it said clarity and stronger emphasis from management would help.
The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.
“United has long advocated in favor of providing the FAA with the resources it needs for its important work,” United Airlines told Gizmodo in an emailed statement. “We work closely with FAA every day as well as employing our own robust internal safety management system and maintenance procedures to maintain the safety and reliability of our fleet.”
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