DOT Audit Finds FAA Lacks Staff to Oversee United Maintenance

A new audit from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has insufficient staffing and inadequate workforce planning to effectively monitor United Airlines' extensive maintenance operations. The findings, detailed in DOT OIG Audit Report AV2026015, come amid heightened scrutiny of the carrier following a series of maintenance-linked incidents.

The audit highlights a critical gap between the FAA's regulatory responsibilities and its available resources, a situation that could create safety risks. The OIG report noted that ongoing staffing shortages have led to fewer inspections, limited surveillance of the carrier's maintenance programs, and an overall loss of institutional knowledge within the agency. This issue is not isolated to United, as past audits have raised similar concerns about FAA oversight of maintenance at American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Allegiant Air.

Audit Findings and Staffing Deficiencies

The investigation, conducted between May 2024 and December 2025, identified significant staffing issues at the specific FAA office responsible for United's oversight. According to the DOT OIG report, the FAA's United Certificate Management Office (CMO) had a 33% vacancy rate for inspector positions. This shortage has direct operational consequences.

The report found that FAA personnel were sometimes instructed by managers to conduct inspections "virtually" due to a lack of staff or travel funding. This practice contradicts agency policy, which requires that reviews be postponed if they cannot be performed on-site. The OIG warned that remote inspections create safety risks because inspectors may miss or misidentify maintenance problems that would be apparent in person.

Furthermore, the audit revealed a gap in inspector training related to accessing and utilizing United's own safety data. This deficiency prevents inspectors from fully evaluating maintenance issues and identifying potential safety risk trends within the airline's operations.

Context of Recent Incidents

The audit's release follows several notable operational incidents involving United Airlines aircraft. In March 2024, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 carrying 160 passengers and six crew rolled off a runway after landing in Houston. The following day, a Boeing 777 bound for Japan with 235 passengers and 14 crew lost a tire during takeoff from San Francisco, diverting safely to Los Angeles.

More recently, in December 2025, a United flight on a Boeing 777-200 with 275 passengers and 15 crew experienced an engine failure during takeoff from Dulles International Airport. The aircraft returned to the airport and landed safely. These events have placed airline maintenance programs under increased public and regulatory scrutiny.

Agency and Airline Response

In a formal response included with the audit report, the FAA acknowledged the findings and agreed with most of the OIG's recommendations. The agency stated it would take corrective action by the end of the year. "FAA will implement a more systemic approach to strengthen inspector capacity and will take other measures to ensure that staffing levels remain sufficient to meet surveillance requirements," the agency's letter read.

Recommendations from the OIG include a reevaluation of staffing rules, an independent workplace survey to assess inspector workloads and office culture, and improved training on using airline safety data.

United Airlines, in a statement, expressed its support for a well-resourced regulator. "United has long advocated in favor of providing the FAA with the resources it needs for its important work," the carrier said, adding that it works closely with the FAA daily and maintains its own internal safety management system.

Why This Matters

This audit highlights a systemic challenge facing U.S. aviation regulators: ensuring oversight capacity keeps pace with the scale and complexity of major airline operations. For the industry, it underscores the potential for regulatory bottlenecks and the critical need for robust internal safety systems. The findings suggest that without adequate federal resources and staffing, the burden of ensuring day-to-day operational safety falls more heavily on the carriers themselves, increasing pressure on their maintenance programs and safety culture.

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