American Airlines pilots union sounds alarm on ‘significant spike’ in safety issues including tools being left in wheels, delays in plane inspection and pressure to get them in the air again [Video]

11:37 EDT 17 Apr 2024, updated 12:28 EDT 17 Apr 2024

An American Airlines pilots’ union has sounded the alarm on a ‘significant spike’ in safety issues in the wake of several terrifying aviation incidents.

The Allied Pilots Association, which represents 15,000 pilots working for American Airlines, claims members have noted tools being left in wheels, delays in plane inspections and pressure to get aircraft back in the sky.

The warning comes amid scrutiny of the airline industry which was ignited in January, when an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing jet blew out a door panel mid-flight.

The incident led to a federal probe and the grounding of the aircraft manufacturer’s  737 Max jets. Several whistleblowers also added fuel to the fire by flagging concerns over Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner models.

But the union warned poor practices have been seen across the industry, noting it has encountered ‘increasing number of collisions between aircraft being tugged or towed’ as well as incomplete maintenance actions and …