AA contends with FAA's proposed fines, unhappy unions

American Airlines faces growing problems on two fronts as US FAA announced Friday it is seeking to collect civil penalties totaling $787,500 from the carrier for maintenance violations and its ground workers became the second labor group to ask the National Mediation Board for a release from talks that could lead to a work action.

FAA's proposed fine follows a February Dept. of Transportation Inspector General report that stated AA "was not following procedures for required maintenance inspections" and criticized FAA for not holding AA to account for its "longstanding failure to comply with required maintenance inspection procedures." AA regional subsidiary American Eagle Airlines currently is facing proposed fines totaling $5.4 million for alleged safety violations (ATWOnline, Feb. 22).

The agency said Friday that in April 2008 AA mechanics discovered problems with one of two Central Air Data Computers on an MD-82 but "instead of replacing the computer, mechanics improperly deferred this maintenance. . .[and the] airline subsequently flew the plane on 10 passenger flights before the computer was replaced. During this time, flight crews were led to believe that both computers were working properly." FAA is proposing a penalty of $625,000 for this alleged violation.

It additionally charged that in March 2008 AA "failed to correctly follow an Airworthiness Directive involving the inspection of rudder components on certain Boeing 757 aircraft." According to the agency, the airline "was advised of the situation. . .[and] said it would cease flying the planes until they were repaired. . .[but] during the following two days, the airline flew two of the planes on a total of three passenger flights." The proposed fine is $75,000 for this alleged violation.

The regulator further alleged that in May 2009, AA "mechanics returned an MD-82 aircraft to service even though several steps of a scheduled B check maintenance visit had not been checked off as completed. . .[A subsequent] FAA inspection of the aircraft revealed several discrepancies in the tail section, including loose screws, a missing nut plate and a right hand elevator torque tube binding making noise." It proposed an $87,500 penalty for that alleged violation.

On the labor front, the Transport Workers Union representing 28,000 AA ground workers asked the National Mediation Board to release it from mediated talks to begin a 30-day cooling-off period that could lead to a strike. "All reasonable efforts to reach an amicable agreement through mediation have failed," TWU said. The move followed the Assn. of Professional Flight Attendants' recent statement that it would seek a release from mediation from NMB for AA's 18,000 flight attendants (ATWOnline, March 5).