The Office of Inspector General for the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has found that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) oversight of maintenance practices at SkyWest Airlines (OO, St. George Municipal) have not fully complied with agency guidance and failed to resolve persistent issues over the last four years.
According to a report, the FAA’s Certificate Management Office (CMO) has not resolved issues with SkyWest’s remote return-to-service maintenance practices - with which airlines monitor issues without the need for on-site technicians - since 2021. The CMO does not always adhere to FAA guidance when addressing SkyWest’s non-compliance, it said.
The FAA has been working to resolve 32 issues at the regional carrier which operates flights on behalf of United Airlines (as United Express), Delta Air Lines (as Delta Connection), American Airlines (as American Eagle), and Alaska Airlines (as Alaska SkyWest). According to the report, the FAA resolved 26 issues, but non-compliance persists with SkyWest’s remote return-to-service maintenance.
In addition, the audit said that SkyWest was “inappropriately deferring maintenance for minimum equipment list items, dispatching aircraft for flights without required inspections, and using pilots to perform maintenance tasks not approved in SkyWest’s maintenance manuals”, as well as delaying access to data for the CMO.
FAA inspectors shared their frustration that their efforts were being delayed and were concerned that the airline’s remote maintenance practices could contribute to an accident.
In a statement to ch-aviation, SkyWest acknowledged the findings and reiterated that safety is its highest priority and the foundation of its operation. "In recent years and over several changes in CMO leadership and personnel, we’ve taken numerous actions to help the CMO identify and resolve any issues in either of our processes to better support SkyWest’s safety efforts," it added.
The DOT made seven recommendations to improve FAA oversight of SkyWest’s maintenance. Reuters reported that the FAA had agreed with six of the seven recommendations and planned to implement them by July 2026.
SkyWest Airlines operates a fleet of 580 aircraft, including 132 CRJ200s, twenty-eight CRJ550s, 103 CRJ700s, fifty-two CRJ900s, and 265 E175s. Furthermore, it has a subsidiary, SkyWest Charter, which is currently seeking authorisation to conduct scheduled passenger operations as a commuter carrier, but has faced opposition from unions, which argue that approving the certificate could pose safety risks, regulatory gaps, and oversight challenges. The DOT found the charter specialist fit to conduct these operations in February 2025 but has not issued its final order granting the certification.
