WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- As public concerns about flying safety increase, so do questions about the safety of overseas plane repair services used by many U.S. carriers, experts say.
Many are questioning the safety of foreign repair shops frequently depended upon by U.S. airlines, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday.
At least 60 percent of major repair work on U.S. commercial aircraft is done overseas, a government report said.
Outsourcing maintenance work has become a common practice as many financially bound airlines struggle to keep their heads above water, the newspaper said. It is reported overseas workers frequently cost less for the airline to hire than U.S. workers.
Critics say using foreign repair services create a safety risk.
"We're not talking about kicking the tires or changing the oil," but "heavy maintenance" on U.S. planes, said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Advocates say overseas work is safe and critics may be partially motivated by the loss of U.S. jobs outsourcing creates.
