A United Airlines 737 Max 8
Leslie Joseph | CNBC
united airlines said the Federal Aviation Administration authorized it to add new planes and routes months after the regulator stepped up its scrutiny of the airline following several safety incidents.
“Today we received good news: after careful review and discussion of the proactive safety measures 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 said in a note to employees Wednesday.
United said in March that the FAA had stepped up scrutiny of the airline after a series of incidents earlier this year. That prevented it from launching new routes, including flights to Faro, Portugal, before the busy summer travel season.
The FAA clearance is good news, as United and other airlines expect a record peak season this year.
Among safety incidents in recent months, a United Boeing 777 bound for Japan lost a tire shortly after taking off from San Francisco in February, and a missing panel was discovered on a Boeing 737 after it landed in Oregon in March .
However, United said it has more work to do.
“We will continue to see the FAA presence in our operation as they review our work processes, manuals and facilities,” he said in his memo to employees.
The FAA had no immediate comment.
While the planes involved older planes, the incidents came amid increased scrutiny of the aviation industry after a door plug on a nearly new plane came off. boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines earlier this year, a near-catastrophe that has created a new crisis for the manufacturer.
