Who knows how much American Airlines spending and losing to do something right? Wouldn’t it have been easier and far less costly and less inconvenient to have done it right the first time?
The FAA started the snowball rolling down the hill by failing the American citizens. But, in reality American Airlines and the others affected by the Congressional hearings are paying one hell of a price for negligence. I’m not sure there will be a dollar amount assigned to the losses any time soon. But, with days of delays and cancellations, days with airplanes on the ground, days of disgruntled would be passengers, and the high cost of overtime for those working to correct the wiring around the wheels and hubs, American Airlines is taking a hit. And, well they should.
I have been very vocal about the FAA failures, but let’s not overlook the negligence of American Airlines and Delta and Southwest. The bottom line seems to be simple enough. Taking the example of American Airlines, the money the company thought it was saving by taking short cuts or just avoiding the inspection and maintenance altogether has skyrocketed. The only thing that hasn’t soared sky high is an American airplane.
I am not stepping back from the notion that the two supervisors should be fired. They should be. Everyone else in the country is talking about “zero tolerance”. And, we all know the three strikes you are out rule. If it applies to some, it seems that it should be applied to all, but then again.. I am an idealist I suppose.
However, the ultimate problem is within American Airlines. The planes are their responsibility. I am now wondering if the cost they are paying is high enough. Another 900 flights have been cancelled today. There may be more tomorrow. The cost of trying to pacify passengers who find themselves grounded and disgruntled is going to cost American more than can be calculated at this time. It will take months to realize the high cost of negligence.
American Airlines isn’t alone as the FAA tries to over compensate for past failures.
Midwest Airlines on Thursday became the latest airline to ground planes and cancel flights to re-inspect a wiring harness, the same issue that has forced American to cancel more than 2,400 flights and Alaska Airlines to cancel about 40 more in recent days.
Apparently, the FAA is trying to make up for lost time.
Depending on how you look at it, this could be viewed as a classic bureaucratic overreaction after the agency was embarrassed by the disclosure last month that FAA inspectors were letting Southwest ignore airworthiness directives — or that the top brass, shocked at how lax the safety review system had gotten, has finally awakened and ordered a high-impact new way of doing business.
“There’s always going to be extremes, just as there are in politics, and to some extent this is a political issue,” said Bob Harrell of New York-based travel and aviation consulting firm Harrell Associates. “Auditors get paid to audit, get paid to find things.”
Another sign of the political stakes: the Senate confirmation process for acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell, who was nominated by President Bush in October, has been put on hold. Sturgell announced last week that four U.S. airlines are being investigated for failing to comply with federal regulations, that the probe would take months to complete and could result in fines.
Well, this isn’t over but it is hell to pay for those airlines who have been negligent.
FAA spokeswoman Lynn Tierney said the agency is simply doing its job.
Right…. and about time!
