Sen. Nelson wants probe into FAA’s handling of Allegiant Air

WASHINGTON – Following a hard-hitting "60 Minutes" report on Allegiant Air, which dovetailed previous reporting by the Tampa Bay Times, Sen. Bill Nelson is calling for an investigation into the FAA's enforcement actions.

"The traveling public deserves to know whether the FAA is conducting thorough safety oversight of Allegiant. Anything less could lead to disastrous consequences," Nelson wrote in a letter Monday to the inspector general for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"Unfortunately, this is not the first report of serious safety concerns with Allegiant's operations," Nelson wrote. "In 2016, the Tampa Bay Times and Washington Post separately reported on aborted take offs and unexpected landings due to mechanical failures on Allegiant's aging aircraft.

"In response, I included language in the Senate FAA bill last year that would require the agency to report to Congress annually on all commercial airline safety incidents and the steps taken to address them. The Senate is expected to vote on that measure next month."

Until then, Nelson is calling for an audit of FAA procedures.