Pilot Union Discloses Problematic Safety And Maintenance Trends At American Airlines

American Airlines’ safety and maintenance practices are in the news after the carrier’s pilot union highlighted a rise in safety issues lately. This is the latest in a series of safety concerns in the US aviation sector, with Boeing and United Airlines also under regulatory watch over their safety practices.

Pilot union raises concern

The Allied Pilots Association, representing American Airlines pilots, has highlighted a “significant spike” in safety issues related to the carrier’s flights. The union’s memo to its members said it has observed “problematic trends” such as tools being left in wheel wells after maintenance work, aircraft collision during towing, and inadequate recordkeeping, among others. The message further said,

The union also encouraged members to come forward and report any issues they observe and not feel pressured or intimidated into doing a rushed job when it comes to maintenance work. The message added, “As the last link in the safety chain, our passengers and crew depend on us to be the strongest link in that chain.”

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Addressing concerns

There seems to be some progress as American’s management has listened to the concerns and is willing to take measures to identify and rectify any gaps in its safety and maintenance processes.

Photo: Jarek Kilian | Shutterstock

USA TODAY had access to another letter to the union’s members written by APA President Ed Sicher, in which he said that union representatives had a meeting with American’s management, who committed to involving the union in the safety risk assessment (SRA) process. Sicher also highlighted that the union is trying to get a commitment that the “APA will have a seat at the table for the entire quality assurance process.” An American Airlines’ spokesperson told Simple Flying,

Safety at any airline is a shared mission and it’s especially true at American. Our robust safety program is guided by our industry-leading safety management system. It includes a multitude of collaborative programs — and regular touchpoints — with the FAA and all our unions, including APA, to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture.

Recent aviation safety concerns

This development is the latest related to aviation safety after the scrutiny around Boeing and, recently, United Airlines as well. The January Alaska Airlines midair blowout incident forced the Federal Aviation Administration to monitor Boeing’s manufacturing processes closely.

The matter has played out publicly in the last several months, severely denting Boeing’s reputation as a trusted aircraft manufacturer. The plane maker was ordered to even slow down the production of its 737 MAX aircraft until it resolved its manufacturing issues.

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Boeing’s top management also faced backlash and saw a shakeup, including the resignation of its current CEO, Dave Calhoun, who will step down from his role at the end of this year.

United Airlines, too, is under the scrutiny of the FAA after a string of incidents related to some of its flights, including tire loss, skidding, and jammed rudder. In a memo, the airline’s vice president of corporate safety, Sasha Johnson, said that the FAA will have an increasing presence in United’s operations as they review some of its work processes, manuals, and facilities.

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