Airlines Cutting Corners

According to a report I heard on the radio today, Northwest Airlines is laying off 900 of its mechanics to cut costs. The airline is outsourcing its maintenance to Asia, as it can obtain cheaper labor overseas. Now, I haven't verified any of this, but this is what I heard from a mechanic for Northwest. There is no oversight by the the airline of the labor that is performed overseas, and it is performed by undocumented workers. When the repaired aircraft is returned to the airline, a representative signs off on the work and the plane is put into service.

Any work performed in the United States is done by mechanics who are trained and licensed by the United States government. Background checks are done on these individuals and random drug testing is performed. The workers are also employees of the airline and have a personal stake in the work being performed. They treat an aircraft better than their own car.

By sending an aircraft overseas, who is to say that the work is done properly? What stake do the workers have in doing a job well? What is to stop an individual from getting a job at one of the overseas companies and planting a device in a plane? This certainly doesn't make me feel more comfortable about flying. We are reducing air safety at the same time as we are cutting jobs by hard working well trained Americans.