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FAA Orders Safety Review for All Airlines

The head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered federal aviation inspectors to ensure that all commercial airlines operating in the U.S. are in compliance with FAA safety standards and regulations. Calling the inspection order "unprecedented," Reuters reports that "the FAA wants a snapshot of compliance with an array of safety directives issued over the years that required inspections or other maintenance work" -- especially as to inspection of older Boeing 737 jets. The order comes shortly after the FAA levied a $10.2M fine against Southwest Airlines for safety inspection lapses. Southwest later grounded more than 40 of its planes until it could guarantee compiance with federal safety guidelines.

• Statement on FAA Audit (FAA)
• Video: FAA Orders Check of All Airline Maintenance (Associated Press/YouTube)
• FAA to Check Safety Compliance at All U.S. Airlines (Reuters)
• Southwest Airlines Responds to FAA Letter of Penalty (Southwest Airlines)
• Aviation Accidents (FindLaw)

Full post as published by FindLaw's Common Law on March 19, 2008 (boomark / email).