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Summary

The Office of Inspector General plans to audit domestic code share agreements between mainline and regional air carriers.  These agreements allow mainline and regional carriers to coordinate their flight schedules so that the regional carriers--marketed under the name of the mainline carrier--can provide passengers with connections from cities that cannot support major airline jet service to larger hub cities served by major air carriers.  As code share agreements become a more integral part of the aviation system, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) must make it a top priority to ensure the safety of passengers who depend on those flights.   

We are conducting this audit at the request of the Chairmen of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Subcommittee on Aviation.  Our audit objectives are to: (1) examine DOT and FAA legal authority to review agreements between mainline air carriers and their regional partners, (2) assess policies and procedures between mainline air carriers and their regional partners to ensure one level of safety, and (3) determine whether passengers have adequate information to make informed decisions when purchasing an airline ticket.