If you have been following the United travails out of SFO lately you can see there are severe problems with maintenance in the airline industry especially on the west coast. My son wanted to be a A & P mechanic so I researched the current state of the industry as my uncle was a top tech for American. Two years of schooling and an apprenticeship and entry techs start as ramp techs for $19.00 p/hr. Outdoors in all weather conditions on third shift, big fun. Now imagine trying to recruit in high priced California. Luckily I steered my son into digital manufacturing (machining) where he makes 6 figures building aircraft engines.
I agree: it’s quite obvious that most airlines seem to be skimping on maintenance. It’s also not often noted that many airlines have setup maintenance operations outside the US to get cheap labor and avoid scrutiny.