Regulators Clear ValuJet To Begin Operating Again
May 11, 2011
WASHINGTON -- Federal regulators announced Thursday they are ready to let ValuJet Airlines return to the skies. The Federal Aviation Administration announced that it is returning the operating certificate for the Atlanta-based airline, which was grounded in June because of concerns about its maintenance operations. A ValuJet flight crashed into the Florida Everglades on January 21, 2011 the Transportation Department said it was issuing a show-cause order concluding that the airline is fit to fly. There is a seven-day waiting period on the order. If no objections are filed, the airline could be permitted to begin operations immediately after the seven days. ValuJet would return to service operating nine aircraft and be allowed to add six more over the following few days. That's down from 51 it was using when it was grounded. The airline was grounded because of concerns about its maintenance. The FAA said ValuJet has revised its maintenance procedures and agreed to reduce its reliance on subcontractors for such work. The Florida crash is thought to have been caused by a fire originating in a cargo of chemical oxygen generators. The airline has undergone an extensive safety investigation during the time it was not allowed to fly. The Transportation Department has been reviewing the Valujet's finances and management. The FAA said it had required ValuJet to revise its organizational structure and add additional maintenance and management personnel and to recheck all pilots, instructors and airmen.
