While all the issues with ATC and airport ops take the spotlights, Lip service is given to maintenance and the severe technician/skills shortage only compounded by the covid mess. Trying to address this “vigilance” issue, while MRO’s and airlines are trying to be creative, is going to cause a bigger mess in the very near future. So far the FAA never said how many techs/per aircraft a operator must have. This might have to be a reg down the road, similar to hrs limits on flight crews. My NPRM is trying to address the technical skills shortage. All the old timers like me will be out of the system, then what?
https://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2023-0050-0001
Carl