The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has completed a review of safety at United Airlines following several incidents that attracted unwanted attention from the flying public as well as the aviation regulator.
United underwent an FAA Certificate Holder Evaluation Program, the regulator said on 3 October. “The review did not identify any significant safety issues,” it says, adding: ”The FAA has concluded the enhanced oversight and approval process for United to add aircraft and services.”
United faced increased scrutiny of its safety performance by the regulator after numerous incidents. None of them resulted in injuries or loss of life, but they created enough concern for the aviation regulator to step in and temporarily pause United’s certification activities, preventing it from adding new aircraft and routes.
On 8 July, a 30-year-old Boeing 757-200 lost a wheel from its main landing gear as it took off from Los Angeles international airport. The aircraft with 174 passengers and seven crew on board later landed safely in Denver.
The incident was similar to one on 7 March, when a tyre fell off a 777-200 as it was departing from San Francisco bound for Japan. The tyre landed in an employee parking lot, crushing several cars but causing no injuries. The aircraft diverted to Los Angeles, where it landed safely.
That same month, another 777, travelling to San Francisco from Sydney, was forced to make an emergency landing after suffering a mid-air hydraulic leak.
Those were just three of several recent incidents which led to the FAA’s stepping up safety oversight of the carrier. Others included a 737 Max 8 that ran off a taxiway in Houston, and a 737-800 that landed in Medford, Oregon with an external panel missing.
United did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the FAA’s clearance.
