On July 20, 2023, at Miami, Florida’s Miami International Airport, an American Airlines aircraft takes off.
There has been a “significant spike” in safety issues on flights, according to the union that represents American Airlines pilots.
In order to maintain on-time performance, the Allied Pilots Association is alerting its members about “problematic trends,” such as tools left in wheel wells, crashes involving planes being hauled on the ground, and “pressure to return aircraft to line service.”
The updated warning is being sent out in the wake of the January 5 door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9, which has put commercial aviation in the US and overseas under the spotlight. A CNN study indicates that there were over twelve incidents on United Airlines flights last month alone, which prompted CEO Scott Kirby to issue a safety alert to passengers.