The FAA Proposes Millions in Fines Against US Airways and United Airlines

Despite advanced safety features and technology (such as the electrical circuit test developed by live wire), it seems some airlines still operate in violation of safety regulations as evidenced by the new fines proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA proposed a staggering $9.2 million in civil penalties against US Airways and United Airlines for a range of maintenance lapses on more than 1,800 flights. The flights stretched back as far as early 2008.

Some have expressed the fines are more an issue of paperwork errors as opposed to poor or ignored maintenance hazards, which is not to downplay them but illustrate that they are not on the same level as an obvious safety danger. Still, the new stringent enforcement and hard-nosed stance of the FAA comes in response to heightened concerns, both from congress and the general public, about airplane safety.

Over the past year, a handful of alarming aviation experiences have given rise to such concerns, most notably the downing of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York in February of 2009. The commuter jet crashed, killing all 49 people aboard and one on the ground. In the aftermath, the FAA endured intense scrutiny regarding various safety issues and a lack of standardized regulations among major and regional carriers.

After news of the fines hit, both airlines issued statements reconfirming their commitment to safety. But the fact the fines were issued in the first place does little to ease public concerns about the ever-growing problem of airplane safety (or lack thereof).