Though United Airlines made headlines last month for its industry-leading number of Federal Aviation Administration-noted incidents, it seems like it’s not the only airline having trouble maintaining high safety standards.
Bloomberg reports that the Allied Pilots Association, the union that represents pilots for American Airlines, issued a memo to members Friday warning them to remain “vigilant” amid a “spike” in safety problems.
“While United Airlines is currently under public and government scrutiny, it could just as easily be American Airlines,” the union said, according to a copy of the memo provided to Quartz.
Among the “problematic trends” identified by the union were tools being left in plane wheel wells, a reduction in quantity and quality of maintenance checks, and pressure to quickly return planes to service despite fewer aircraft inspections.
“Remember: Don’t rush, don’t be intimidated, and don’t be pressured into doing something that doesn’t pass the ‘smell test,’” the memo reads. “Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it safe.”
In the wake of mid-flight door plug blowout aboard an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 Max 9, the airline industry has come in for a lot more scrutiny regarding operational safeguards. Boeing has been the biggest focal point, but it hasn’t been the only one. After its bumpy March, United executives told their workforce that the FAA would be supervising the company more closely.
“Safety at any airline is a shared mission and it’s especially true at American,” American Airlines said in a statement provided to Quartz. “Our robust safety program is guided by our industry-leading safety management system. It includes a multitude of collaborative programs—and regular touchpoints—with the FAA and all our unions, including APA, to further bolster our strong safety record and enhance our ever-evolving safety culture.”