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)