THE US FEDERAL Aviation Administration's to intensify its oversight of new air carriers following the ValuJet McDonnell Douglas DC-9 crash in May in Florida and a subsequent review of the carrier's operations. This will include regulating the use of outside aircraft maintenance firms and limiting their growth rates.
Contracting out aircraft and engine maintenance will be limited, says the FAA, and the airlines themselves will be required to conduct better oversight of any third-party work. More FAA inspectors are also needed, says the report.
FAA Administrator David Hinson has endorsed the recommendations emerging from a 90-day review of the agency's regulation and certification policies, and has approved a timetable for implementation.
The probe followed the May crash, which looks likely to have involved a mistake by the airline's maintenance contractor. Under the FAA plan, new US air carriers will face greater scrutiny during their first five years of operation, and their growth will be controlled.
Miami-based SabreTech, which did contract maintenance work for ValuJet, was raided by US Federal Bureau of Investigation agents on 7 August. SabreTech says that it regrets the implication of criminal activity.
Source: Flight International
