July 22, 2005
Independence Air's parent company could be fined as much as $1.55 million for operating thousands of flights in violation of government safety regulations. The company says it reported the violations itself and says they occurred while it was upgrading its record-keeping system.
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed the civil penalties for violations that include failing to perform safety-related aircraft tests and inspections at required intervals and failing to replace emergency locator transmitters.
It's among the most severe fines ever proposed by the FAA. In one count, the agency charges the airline flew a jet on 455 flights after the deadline had passed for its heavy maintenance rebuild.
A company spokesman says the violations occurred before Atlantic Coast Airlines changed its name to Flyi Inc. At the time of the infractions, the company was still running commuter flights for United Airlines and Delta Air Lines.
The financially-struggling airline has 30 days to contest the charges. It's expected to seek a lower fine.
