Really true that ailines from the USA have their maintenances no more in the USA, but i.e. Mexico?

Question

There was a report on MSNBC about this yesterday, saying that more and more US-airlines are not maintening their aircrafts anymore in the US, but other countries.

Answer 1

Yes it is true.  Most of us airlines are having their heavy checks/inspections done outside of the usa.  The manpower is cheaper and there are less regulations.  Most us airlines have 50% less technicians than they employed 10 years ago.  To the best of my knowledge American airlines is the only US airline bucking this trend and keeping their maintenance in house and in the USA.

Answer 2

Well, I just took a jet to Dothan, Alabama where the PEMCO company is reskinning 737 aircraft.  That qualifies as pretty heavey maintenance.

Southwest Airlines performs all maintenance in the USA.

Answer 3

So? They are held to the same airworthiness standards if they are going to fly in the US. Its not like foreigners are incapable of maintaining aircraft.

Answer 4

Not all airlines are doing that...American Airlines has their maintenance facilities at Tulsa, Oklahoma, and United Airlines has a major maintenance facility at San Francisco.

But if one of our airlines needs to have an aircraft serviced at, say, London -Heathrow or Sydney-Kingsford Smith, they have facilities there to correct the problem.

I mentioned United and American because they not only serve the US but Canada, Europe, South America, Asia, and in United's case, Australia.

Answer 5

Yes it is true most carriers are outsourcing their maintenance and some even to foreign countries.  

And to who ever said it was the same, NO IT IS NOT!  The FAA has already stated they will not audit the foreign maintenance bases.  The mechanics will not be held to the same standards as US mechanics (ie drug testing, background checks, etc).  

Uniteds maintenance base in SFO is all but minimally running.  They do their 777 heavy checks in China (yeah, the same country who poisoned our dogs and toothpaste).

And AA is one of the ONLY ones who is still doing their heavy checks.  They believe that eventually the cheap maintenance will cause sever problems for the other carriers.