Unchecked Maintenance Failures Threaten Aviation Safety, Calls for Stronger Oversight

Poor plane maintenance practices are going unchecked, threatening a major incident, warned aircraft engineering groups on September 21.

From 2004‑2006, the Association of Licensed Aircraft Engineers (Alae) documented roughly 1,700 maintenance failings or regulatory non‑compliance incidents across Europe.

Common lapses include aircraft being approved as fit to fly by staff lacking proper qualifications, and pilots delaying defect reporting until the end of a flight day at the home base to avoid earlier scrutiny.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) is expected to monitor the situation, yet its authority is curtailed by EU policy, leaving it “a bark but no bite,” according to AEI Secretary‑General Fred Bruggeman.

Alway, Alae chairman, warned: “If these issues persist, a major incident is likely. The core problem is regulatory enforcement—airlines will cut corners to save money, and pilots may defer defect logging when away from base.”

Bruggeman added: “We hear of licensed personnel performing maintenance without proper training, signing off aircraft as safe when they are not qualified.”

Both Alway and Bruggeman spoke at the opening of a three‑day AEI conference in London, attended by international delegates.

Alway stated: “It is our duty to alert the public to these safety gaps that industry and governments continue to overlook. While the EU bans non‑European carriers deemed unsafe, it fails to manage the very European airlines under its jurisdiction.”