FAA PROPOSES MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PENALTY OVER AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE VIOLATIONS
March 12, 2026
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On February 20, 2026, the FAA announced a $2,839,900 civil penalty against PEMCO World Air Services, an aircraft repair station based in Tampa, Florida, for purportedly violating aircraft maintenance regulations. Between September 2022 and November 2023, FAA investigators contend that PEMCO knowingly used expired products when performing maintenance on U.S. air carrier aircraft, including five (5) Frontier aircraft. As the U.S. regulator responsible for ensuring consistent maintenance of planes, helicopters, and other aircraft, the FAA takes improper maintenance and quality control allegations very seriously as demonstrated by the sizable penalty proposed against PEMCO. Given that the FAA’s Aviation Litigation Division can impose remedies ranging from an informal action to revocation of an operator’s or repair station’s certificate, regulated entities should bolster their internal compliance by maintaining copies of relevant maintenance records, including logbooks, Airworthiness Directive compliance records, and historical maintenance records where possible. Carriers who contract with aircraft repair stations for maintenance services should conduct due diligence on their vendors to verify that only certificated mechanics, repairmen, repair stations, and qualified maintenance personnel are performing maintenance and alteration work on covered aircraft. Doing so improves the ability of carriers to promptly identify and correct safety problems before FAA inspections.
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