Government accuses Chautauqua Air of not following safety orders to inspect planes, wants fine

FAA says regional airline didn’t inspect planes

WASHINGTON — Federal aviation officials want to fine Chautauqua Airlines $348,000 for allegedly flying regional jets thousands of times without performing required safety inspections.

The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that the airline’s management of its maintenance program and its system for tracking the status of compliance with safety orders led to the violations.

The agency said Chautauqua flew eight regional jets more than 9,900 times before inspecting lower wings for cracks. The inspections were supposed to be performed every 5,000 flights.

Chautauqua is a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings of Indianapolis.