The Federal Aviation Administration has reportedly been asked to tighten oversight of budget carrier Allegiant Air.
Reuters says it has seen the Transportation Department Inspector General’s report into various operational safety issues with the airline.
The 31-page report highlighted a number of in-flight issues after the Inspector General’s office opened an investigation in 2018.
It focused on a ‘series of in-flight engine shutdowns, aborted take-offs, and unscheduled landings’ of the airline’s MD-80 aircraft.
The airline has since retired these planes and replaced them with Airbus jets.
The airline’s safety record was under the spotlight after a segment on the ’60 minutes’ TV show was highly critical, highlighting more than 100 mechanical incidents within two years.
The Inspector General’s report noted at least 21 engine shutdowns on MD-80 aircraft occurred between 2014 and 2018.
Allegiant said it has not been given a copy of the report yet and would comment only when it has had time to review it.
