FAA Fails to Fix Ongoing SkyWest Maintenance Issues, Audit Finds
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has failed to fully resolve long-standing maintenance issues at SkyWest Airlines that FAA inspectors warned could contribute to an accident, according to a government audit released Thursday July 31.
SkyWest is the largest regional airline in the United States and operates flights under contract for major carriers including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and Alaska Airlines.
An audit by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) found that the FAA has struggled for more than four years to address concerns related to SkyWest’s “remote return-to-service” maintenance procedures, which were introduced in 2018.
Under this practice, maintenance controllers based at SkyWest’s Utah headquarters remotely oversee maintenance activities carried out by SkyWest or contracted mechanics at various aircraft locations. However, FAA inspectors raised red flags about oversight gaps and noncompliance with standard maintenance protocols.
According to the report, FAA inspectors identified several critical concerns, including:
- Inappropriate deferral of Minimum Equipment List (MEL) items
- Aircraft dispatched for flights without completing required inspections
- Pilots conducting maintenance tasks not authorized in the airline’s manuals
While the FAA resolved 26 of 32 identified safety issues since 2021, the agency has failed to correct persistent problems specifically tied to SkyWest’s remote maintenance procedures. The OIG report criticized the FAA for delaying a systemic risk review until two years after repeated hazard reports from inspectors.
The audit also highlighted FAA inspectors’ growing frustration with delays and what they perceive as inadequate oversight. Inspectors voiced concern that ongoing maintenance practices could increase the risk of an accident, particularly due to inconsistent compliance with FAA safety regulations.
In its response, SkyWest said it is committed to the “highest standards of safety and compliance” and has cooperated with the FAA to resolve issues. The airline noted that it has implemented several corrective actions to strengthen its maintenance oversight.
However, the OIG audit revealed specific safety lapses tied to the remote maintenance program. For example, in 2023, one aircraft was cleared for flight without a required operational altimeter, and another was dispatched despite an improperly deferred fuel fault advisory message. In a separate incident in March 2020, pilots performed unauthorized maintenance procedures during a flight in New York.
The FAA stated it agrees with six of the seven recommendations outlined in the report and plans to implement corrective measures by July 2026. The agency acknowledged that delays in data submissions and compliance reviews can hinder timely safety assessments.
The findings come amid broader scrutiny of aviation safety oversight following high-profile manufacturing and maintenance concerns across the U.S. aviation industry. The audit underscores the importance of timely risk mitigation, especially in high-volume regional carriers like SkyWest, which operate hundreds of daily flights on behalf of major U.S. airlines.
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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, reuters.com, yahoo.com