United Airlines said the Federal Aviation Administration gave it approval to start adding latest planes and routes, months after the regulator tightened its scrutiny of the airline following several safety incidents.
“Today we received some good news: After a careful review and discussion of the proactive safety measures United has taken to date, our FAA Certificate Management Office has allowed us to begin resuming 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 on Wednesday.
United said in March that the FAA had increased scrutiny of the airline after a spate of incidents earlier this yr. This prevented the corporate from launching latest routes, including flights to Faro, Portugal, ahead of the busy summer travel season.
However, United said it still has more work to do.
“We will continue to see an FAA presence in our operations as it reviews our work processes, manuals and facilities,” the staff memo said.
United would send requests to the FAA so as to add planes or latest routes, although a spokesman said that had not happened yet.
The FAA said later Thursday that it had not yet “approved any expansion of United Airlines’ routes or fleet.” The FAA said its review is “ongoing and safety will determine the timeline for completion.”
Approval from the FAA could be welcome news as United and other airlines expect a record peak season this yr.
Safety incidents in recent months have included a United Boeing 777 en path to Japan lost a tire Shortly after takeoff from San Francisco in February, a missing panel was discovered on a Boeing 737 after it landed in Oregon in March.
While the planes were older jets, the incidents got here amid heightened scrutiny of the aviation industry after a door plug blew out on a virtually latest aircraft Boeing 737 Max 9 operated by Alaska Airlines At the start of the yr there was a near-disaster that plunged the manufacturer right into a latest crisis.
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