The closest thing I can come up with to compare this to is that deep-poor practice of ignoring the routine maintenance on the car until something breaks that requires a new car, because you can’t afford the checkups, but you definitely can’t afford a new car.
In this case, they will certainly be able to afford a new plane… too bad about the people flying on it. 
Ah, the race to the bottom! Feel that free market flow through you as your plane plunges to the ground.
[quote]Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility.
~~ Ambrose Bierce[/quote]
This was a big issue here in Canada a few years ago. But at least Air Canada managed to avoid massive lay-offs of it’s own aircraft maintenance staff.
…by first spinning off Air Canada Technical Services as a separate company, Aveos Fleet Performance, and THEN sending their aircraft to low-wage countries for maintenance. Aveos promptly filed for bankruptcy, padlocked its doors and laid off thousands of workers.
And the cherry on top of all this is that a poor understanding of why this is actually a problem* will lead to even more racism against foreign workers (move over Indian call center employees)!
Outsourcing is a win-win for Republicans! They get to froth up their base either way. If Democrats try to restrict outsourcing, “You’re strangling delicate, fragile (yet robust and manly) American Industry!” Allow outsourcing, “You’re giving Our Jobs away to those lazy, incompetent, jibberish-speaking foreigners!”
*the real problem being corporate corner cutting, exploitation of cheap labor and safety and environmental regulation-dodging…
[ETA: some clarity…]
What could possibly go right?
be proficient English
Oh, irony.
Frontline did an excellent piece several years ago on the business of outsourced MROs and the growing use of counterfeit parts in heavy maintenance. Pretty scary stuff.
You assume that the airlines carry about their passengers anymore.
Just another reason not to fly if I don’t have to.
Eh, if properly incentivized the invisible hand will catch me during descent. Nothing to worry about.
Sounds like a Stephen King novel ending…
Very irresponsible article. Definitely the author (if by definition is anyone that learned to write) did not travel for research or didn’t research at all. The company you are talking about in El Salvador has people trained and certified to do what they do and have been operating for years. I have several friends working there, so I don’t speak out of ignorance. It’s a matter of competitiveness. We are not lazy nor incompetent, we are hardworkers and competitive. The red cap looks and sounds good on The Donald, not on wannabes. Hopefully he’ll win to make North America great again!
But are you disappointed? And how much so?
Tell us more, O drive-by new user!
Miles O’Brien did a great documentary on how airlines cutting corners totally fucks over safety. This sounds like an opportunity for an encore.
Disappointed to see this article in flipboard, where I’m a daily user.
Not much more to say, just created a user to write and stand up for what I believe is not true about my country and our companies.
Goose, we’re not lazy cus we work, we’re not incompetent cus were doing a good job in keeping those jobs and it sounds jibberish to you cus probably all you speak is english.
OK, fair enough. The article and post accuse the foreign repair shops of “stupid mistakes.” In that spirit of fairness, can you counter the claim that fewer stupid mistakes are made in your shop vs. USA shops overseen by the FAA? Any data or articles to back it up? I can run them through Google translate if necessary.
Might as well link to the FAA report on this from 2008.
And here’s an interesting looking NPR story from 2009.
