ValuJet, Still Awaiting OKs, Puts Off Service Resumption
ValuJet Airlines, the discount carrier that suspended service in June after a crash that killed 110 people, said Wednesday that it will be unable to resume operations by its Friday target date.
The Transportation Department would not comment on when the troubled airline might be judged fit to fly again.
The airline had called back about 500 furloughed employees, ranging from pilots to reservation agents, in hopes of returning to the skies this week with seven aircraft and flights between Atlanta and five other U.S. cities.
But ValuJet said it became clear late Tuesday that executives would not have the necessary approvals from the Transportation Department and the Federal Aviation Administration in time.
“Because we did not gain the approval of the DOT and the FAA on Tuesday, it became very clear that we would not be in operation on Friday,” ValuJet spokesman Gregg Kenyon said.
“We are hopeful of being approved to resume flight operations as soon as possible,” he said.
The carrier needs a certificate of fitness from the Transportation Department and operational approval from the FAA. The Washington Post, quoting unnamed sources, reported Wednesday that the department was at least 11 days away from giving ValuJet its regulatory go-ahead.
Wednesday was the second and final day for FAA inspectors to put a ValuJet DC-9 through a series of exercises to determine whether the plane and its crew were up to standard.
ValuJet closed its doors in the aftermath of the May 11 crash in the Florida Everglades that killed all those aboard. Publicity surrounding the disaster helped to encourage the FAA to step up safety inspections at the airline.
On June 18, ValuJet executives signed an FAA order that closed the company amid a swarm of alleged safety violations. The company now must wait to see if it meets the standards set forth in the document.
“We’re sitting at a red light waiting for it to turn green,” Kenyon said.
Last month the union that represents ValuJet’s flight attendants petitioned the Transportation Department to remove the airline’s top officers, saying they were unwilling or unable to operate a safe airline.
Asked if the recertification had been held up because of the petition, department spokesman William Schulz said, “We can’t comment on details of the review, which is underway.”
As recently as Tuesday morning, ValuJet said it was hopeful of receiving permission to advertise and sell tickets and approval to resume flight operations for Friday.
Kenyon said airline executives realized Tuesday afternoon that they would be unable to meet their self-imposed deadline, but he declined to comment further.
ValuJet has recalled 70 pilots and about 100 flight attendants for training in preparation for a resumption of service. The airline has also put into training 175 customer service agents and 175 to 200 reservation agents.
