B
Boeingstore
Guest
Safety violations ground Mexican airlines
A jet from a competing airline takes off in front of the Aviacsa main hangar at Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport on July 14. Aviacsa's fleet of 23 Boeing 737s was grounded last month after inspectors found 280 separate problems with the company's planes
MEXICO CITY — Several Mexican discount airlines have recently been grounded because of safety violations, and regulators are closely watching other financially strapped airlines that often carry American tourists and others on domestic routes.
Four airlines, including one that operates in the USA, have been grounded since 2007 after failing maintenance checks. Violations included hydraulic fluid leaks, scrapes on outer skins, and insufficient pilot training, according to Gerardo Sánchez Henkel, the head of enforcement at Mexico's Communications and Transportation Department.
The problems come as Mexican airlines suffer from a financial crisis brought on by the recession and this year's swine flu outbreak, which hit tourism. Domestic passenger traffic in May was down 35% compared to 2008.
Three other discount airlines have also been grounded in the past year because they failed to pay government fees on time.
Following the recent problems, government regulators have increased their inspections of other carriers that are still operating to make sure they don't cut corners, Sánchez Henkel said. "If any ... airline has a problem with debts, then we're going to take note," he said. "If we're seen as too severe, so be it."
About 8.7 million Americans traveled to Mexico last year. The safety issues have centered on discount airlines that mostly operate domestic routes and were popular among Mexicans and foreigners alike.
Douglas Moss, an airline safety expert at AeroPacific Consulting in Torrance, Calif., said the violations raise concerns about the safety of some Mexican carriers. "Sometimes (airlines) just don't have the money to do it right," he said.
Sánchez Henkel said the suspensions show that Mexican regulators are doing their jobs correctly, and that Mexico is still a safe place to fly. The last fatal Mexican commercial airline crash was in 2000.
The latest airline affected was Aviacsa, which operates a daily Mexico City-Las Vegas flight. Its fleet of 23 Boeing 737s was grounded last month after inspectors found 280 separate problems with the company's planes, Sánchez Henkel said. The FAA has also barred Aviacsa from flying in the United States at Mexico's request.
Aviacsa resumed flying after a court overturned the suspension, but was grounded again July 6 due to $21 million in late air-traffic control fees.
Aviacsa's planning director Manuel Cung called the safety issues "cosmetic." He said regulators unfairly shut down entire airlines when they fail safety inspections, instead of grounding individual aircraft or issuing fines as in the U.S.
Sánchez Henkel countered: "Cosmetic faults can become big problems that cause accidents. There are no small issues."
Hawley is Latin America correspondent for USA TODAY and The Arizona Republic
MEXICO CITY — Several Mexican discount airlines have recently been grounded because of safety violations, and regulators are closely watching other financially strapped airlines that often carry American tourists and others on domestic routes.
Four airlines, including one that operates in the USA, have been grounded since 2007 after failing maintenance checks. Violations included hydraulic fluid leaks, scrapes on outer skins, and insufficient pilot training, according to Gerardo Sánchez Henkel, the head of enforcement at Mexico's Communications and Transportation Department.
The problems come as Mexican airlines suffer from a financial crisis brought on by the recession and this year's swine flu outbreak, which hit tourism. Domestic passenger traffic in May was down 35% compared to 2008.
Three other discount airlines have also been grounded in the past year because they failed to pay government fees on time.
Following the recent problems, government regulators have increased their inspections of other carriers that are still operating to make sure they don't cut corners, Sánchez Henkel said. "If any ... airline has a problem with debts, then we're going to take note," he said. "If we're seen as too severe, so be it."
About 8.7 million Americans traveled to Mexico last year. The safety issues have centered on discount airlines that mostly operate domestic routes and were popular among Mexicans and foreigners alike.
Douglas Moss, an airline safety expert at AeroPacific Consulting in Torrance, Calif., said the violations raise concerns about the safety of some Mexican carriers. "Sometimes (airlines) just don't have the money to do it right," he said.
Sánchez Henkel said the suspensions show that Mexican regulators are doing their jobs correctly, and that Mexico is still a safe place to fly. The last fatal Mexican commercial airline crash was in 2000.
The latest airline affected was Aviacsa, which operates a daily Mexico City-Las Vegas flight. Its fleet of 23 Boeing 737s was grounded last month after inspectors found 280 separate problems with the company's planes, Sánchez Henkel said. The FAA has also barred Aviacsa from flying in the United States at Mexico's request.
Aviacsa resumed flying after a court overturned the suspension, but was grounded again July 6 due to $21 million in late air-traffic control fees.
Aviacsa's planning director Manuel Cung called the safety issues "cosmetic." He said regulators unfairly shut down entire airlines when they fail safety inspections, instead of grounding individual aircraft or issuing fines as in the U.S.
Sánchez Henkel countered: "Cosmetic faults can become big problems that cause accidents. There are no small issues."
Hawley is Latin America correspondent for USA TODAY and The Arizona Republic
Última edición por un moderador:
