Recently I spent just 10 minutes viewing an important message about US airlines and how most are outsourcing much of their maintenance work to foreign repair stations. If you have not seen it, you should take the time. The site is www.linktv.org/video/1513.
Briefly the presentation starts with the JetBlue accident at LAX where the crew, immediately after take off, discovers the aircraft’s landing gear is stuck down in a sideways position. It took 2.5 hours of circling the field before attempting a landing. All this occurred while the passengers where able to follow their plight on the onboard TVs’. I’m sure not a comfortable 2.5 hours. It is reported the maintenance on the aircraft had been done at TACA in El Salvador. Jet Blue outsources most of its maintenance to that country and Canada. They are not alone. US airlines, in general, are outsourcing more than 50% of their heavy maintenance… Southwest 64%; Continental 65%; America West 72%; Alaska Air 80%. The total outsourced approximates $49 billion dollars a year.
Now I realize there are tremendous pressures on airlines to reduce costs and lower ticket prices. But at what price? You may be wondering how I came to the title, “Playing the Odds”. Unbelievably, this is a quote from one of the passengers interviewed for the video when he was questioned about the safety of the airlines he is flying and his knowledge of the maintenance done on their aircraft. How scary is that?
Can the FAA, which is charged with overseeing some 5,000 plus repair shops, ensure that the security of the aircraft and the parts that are used to repair them is maintained? Can they guarantee that the oversight of the work accomplished is in accordance with all approved procedures and regs? Finally, can they attest to the competency of those working on the aircraft as meeting the required knowledge and skills levels? The video points out that just this year they lost some 300 inspectors due to retirement or transfers. Actually the preceding are rhetorical questions because we know that, staffed and budgeted as they are, none of these goals can be achieved by the FAA alone.
Aviation maintenance job losses have been directly tied to this latest airline enterprise. As an example, it is pointed out that just several years ago Northwest employed more than 10,000 mechanics; now there are less than 1,000. Startling!
It was also noted that a US technician at an airline averages $35 per hour, where as repairmen (they do not have to be certified) at TACA earn approximately $300 to $1,000 per MONTH! Training is optional for these personnel and most do not speak English, the language of aviation and, most importantly, the language in which the aircraft’s maintenance manuals are written. What’s up with that?
I know most of you are interested in the way the tide is ebbing in your profession, so I highly recommend you watch this video. While some of you may not be airline mechanics, this kind of movement seems to have a way of growing, especially as it reaches critical mass. So keep you guard up and stay informed.