AAL The Latest, But Probably Not Last, To Feel Agency's Wrath

American Airlines has returned to a normal schedule, after a regulatory crackdown by the Federal Aviation Administration which resulted in the cancellation of more than 3,300 flights scheduled on MD-80-series airliners in less than a week.

While the sudden and aggressive FAA action has cost American an estimated $30 million dollars -- and inestimable damage to its image -- the airline may not be alone for long. Reuters reports the FAA is still investigating a handful of airlines for possible lapses in maintenance as part of its unprecedented industrywide review of compliance with its safety orders.

For now, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown says the audit found overall industry compliance at 99 percent, and we're not likely to see another catastrophe like what happened to American.

"Based on the high compliance we saw, we're optimistic we're not going to see problems like this again," Brown said.

As ANN has reported, the FAA was criticized by two of its inspectors for becoming "too cozy" with the airlines it is charged with regulating, following news that Southwest Airlines was allowed to skip mandatory fuselage fatigue checks last year.

Many industry analysts see the crackdown as having more to do with FAA politics than with genuine safety concerns... though it's worth noting American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey said last week, "The FAA is stepping up surveillance and doing their job."

It may be comforting to travelers to note that nearly all the MD-80-series planes subject to the wiring harness errors have now been checked for compliance with the FAA's airworthiness directive.

But Robert Mann, an airline consultant, warns we may have seen just the beginning... as airlines adjust to a new, stricter regulatory environment.

"There are thousands of directives out there that require absolute compliance. When the FAA casts a wider net... whether it's next week or next month we could see another episode with another aircraft type with other operators."

Lovely.

FMI: www.aa.com, www.faa.gov