The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is alleging that the ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines has violated the US Department of Transportation’s Hazardous Materials Regulations.
The FAA said in a statement that it is proposing Spirit Airlines pays a civil penalty of $146,500 and has given the carrier 30 days from receiving the notice to respond.
The FAA alleges Spirit employees offered five separate shipments containing compressed oxygen cylinders to FedEx for air transportation from Detroit to New York in August and September 2022.
According to the FAA’s statement, FedEx employees in Detroit “rejected one of the shipments because the box in which the compressed oxygen cylinder was packed was damaged, did not adhere to the Flame Penetration Resistance Test requirements, and was not properly marked or labeled”.
The FAA also alleges that all five shipments were offered by Spirit Airlines employees who had not completed the required hazardous materials training in the use of United States Department of Transportation Special Permit.
News of the proposed fine comes three weeks after JetBlue Airways and Spirit Airlines announced they will no longer pursue a merger.
On March 4, 2024, JetBlue and Spirit confirmed that the two airlines had agreed to terminate their July 2022 merger agreement.
The two airlines cited “current regulatory obstacles” that would not allow them to finalize the transaction in a “timely fashion under the merger agreement”.
On January 16, 2024, a federal judge blocked JetBlue’s $3.8 billion takeover of the ultra-low-cost airline.
AeroTime has contacted Spirit Airlines for comment on the FAA’s proposed fine.