WASHINGTON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration's ‌oversight of United ‌Airlines’ maintenance practices is hindered by ​low staffing, ineffective workforce training and hurdles to accessing air carrier data, ‌a ⁠federal watchdog said Friday.

The U.S. Transportation Department ⁠Office of Inspector General in early 2024 announced ​the audit ​of ​the FAA's ‌oversight of United after the FAA boosted oversight of United following a series of safety incidents.

OIG said ‌Friday the ​FAA's oversight is "insufficient ​to ​oversee safety risks" ‌and said the ​FAA has ​at times conducted inspections virtually because of ​a ‌lack of inspectors instead ​of postponing them.

(Reporting by ​David Shepardson)