Overview

• A July 28 report from the Department of Transportation inspector general found persistent FAA oversight failures at SkyWest, citing improper MEL deferrals, dispatching aircraft without required inspections and pilot-assigned maintenance tasks.
• Auditors traced 32 maintenance compliance issues at SkyWest since 2021, of which 26 have been closed but remote return-to-service noncompliance persists.
• The inspector general issued seven recommendations to improve enforcement, bolster inspector training and streamline safety data sharing between the FAA and carriers.
• FAA has concurred with six of the recommendations and pledged corrective actions, rejecting only a one-size-fits-all data-request requirement as impractical.
• Each Certificate Management Office must revise its own data request procedures and report implemented changes by mid-2026.