Allegiant says airline is absolutely safe

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016 | 2 a.m.

The following is the full statement provided by Allegiant spokeswoman Kim Schaefer when asked to comment about maintenance issues at Sanford: “Allegiant maintenance practices in all of our bases are part of an FAA-approved program. Maintenance is performed in accordance with all aircraft and engine manufacturer recommendations and in accordance with all standards of the airline industry. In addition, our maintenance programs are subject to regular internal and external audits to ensure that we are consistently meeting or exceeding standards of excellence.”

This is part of a statement made by Allegiant after three of the five emergency landings in the last week of December:

“Our pilots are highly trained and Allegiant safety protocols emphasize putting the safety of passengers foremost in making any decision of this type. All of these incidents were safely resolved and all passengers were aided in getting to their final destination

(Sanford, where the three emergency landing flights originated) is a major hub for Allegiant, and in the previous seven day period, we flew 212 flights out of the Orlando area to destinations all over the country

“Allegiant is a very safe airline. We have robust internal and external auditing programs and are investing heavily in new training programs and technologies that are industry leading.

“Allegiant, like most commercial carriers, is in nearly daily contact with FAA representatives. The FAA oversees and approves the creation of all training materials, programs and certifications for pilots, flight attendants and maintenance personnel, as well as nearly every procedure, manual, process or operation related to flying and maintaining an aircraft.

“Any abnormal event is thoroughly reviewed, often in conjunction with the FAA. Allegiant participates in the voluntary FAA reporting programs, and has multiple programs in place — including a Continuing Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS) and a Reliability Program — to continually monitor and share data with the FAA regarding the overall health of the fleet.”