CNN
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The Federal Aviation Administration warned Saturday its elevated oversight of United Airways — after a string of practically a dozen incidents on flights this month — could imply the troubled airline should put a few of its future plans on maintain.
“As a consequence of current security occasions, the FAA is growing oversight of United Airways to make sure that it’s complying with security laws; figuring out hazards and mitigating threat; and successfully managing security,” an FAA spokesperson mentioned in a press release. “Certification actions in course of could also be allowed to proceed, however future initiatives could also be delayed primarily based on findings from oversight.”
The FAA additionally mentioned it might provoke an analysis of the corporate’s security administration and compliance.
The civil aviation authority’s stepped up oversight comes after a United Boeing 737-800 landed in Medford, Oregon, missing an external panel on March 15.
Whereas no passengers have been injured, the incident was only one in a line of current mishaps on United flights — all involving Boeing jets. In simply the last month, one other United Boeing aircraft spewed flames from an engine after taking off, one slid off the runway, one misplaced a wheel throughout takeoff and one other trailed hydraulic fluid.
The FAA didn’t specify what future initiatives could also be delayed by its analysis, however on Saturday, Bloomberg reported the company is contemplating stopping United Airways from including new routes, curbing the airline’s development.
In a Friday memo, United told employees they’d begin seeing “extra of an FAA presence in our operation as they start to evaluate a few of our work processes, manuals and services.”
United mentioned the FAA’s evaluate would imply an “even nearer take a look at a number of areas of our operation to make sure we’re doing all we are able to to advertise and drive security compliance.”
United’s troubles come at a time of heightened security considerations round Boeing, the producer of many of the airline’s jets.
Essentially the most notable mishap on a Boeing jet this 12 months occurred on January 5, when an Alaska Airways Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft misplaced a door midflight, leaving a gaping gap within the aspect of the aircraft. Final week, a LATAM Airlines Boeing plane flying from Sydney, Australia, to Auckland, New Zealand, immediately plunged in midair, injuring some passengers as they have been thrown to the cabin’s ceiling.
CNN’s Gregory Wallace, Chris Isidore and Pete Muntean contributed to this report.