American, Delta inspect MD-80s

photo by Kevin Boydston
American Airlines yesterday announced that it was canceling 300 flights on Wednesday in order to inspect wiring covers in its 300-strong MD-80 fleet, with an American spokesperson calling the move an "abundance of caution" by the airline. Later in the day, Delta also said that it would voluntarily reinspect 117 of its MD-88s as well as 16 MD-90s. Delta said that as of last night, it had not found any problems, but the airline was nonetheless forced to cancel about 325 flights yesterday, with a few more following today.

Other airlines flying the MD-80 also reviewed their fleets as well: Allegiant Air said that it reviewed its 35 MD-80s without needed to cancel flights; a spokesperson for Alaska Airlines said that its 10-strong fleet of MD-80s operated "normally".

The checks come at a time when airlines are scrambling to comply with FAA audits and safety directives. Earlier in the month, the agency fined Southwest Airlines $10.2 million for flying 46 of its Boeing 737s without proper safety checks. American Eagle grounded 25 CRJs last week in order to double-check inspection papers on the hydraulic systems and rudders.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sunday, March 23, 2008

To: NATIONS OF THE WORLD – GOVERNMENTS, EMBASSIES, AND PRESS
(Please See The Distribution List Below).

DEFECTIVE AIRPLANES AND PARTS POTENTIALLY ABOUT TO FLOOD THE MARKET

Dear Your Excellencies, And Other Honorable World Citizens:

I am a lawyer in New York, an American citizen, and a man who greatly values the sanctity of human life.

Airline companies within the United States may be about to seek to “dump” defective aircraft upon, and/or sell harmful cannibalized aircraft parts to, businesses and citizens within your respective many countries. The sellers of these harmful used airplanes and materials may approach prospective buyers directly, or they may instead make their predatory approach through intermediary “shell” companies and transactions.

To the extent that you may not already be aware of the current aviation safety crisis occurring now in America that has caused this clear-and-present threat, please inform your countrymen and countrywomen of this potentially-imminent and hazardous occurrence. Please ask your country’s officials, private firms, and citizens, to be vigilantly on the look-out for offers to buy these defective airplanes or parts. It is important you ensure that your friends and neighbors do not buy these items. The safety and lives of your fellow citizens may depend upon it.

I further request that you please advise your governmental aviation authorities in your respective countries, some but not all of whom are copied on this letter, that planes owned or maintained by U.S. airline companies which fly in and/or fly out of your countries and your home airports, should be carefully examined by your own aviation authorities and immediately, to ascertain that these aircraft do not pose any threat to passengers in the air or people on the ground within your country. The fleets of a number of United States commercial airlines are deteriorating. Our federal government in the U.S. has finally caught up to the decay. We in America are now effectively in the painful process of outlawing these aged, dangerous planes – and holding civilly and criminally accountable those malicious individuals that would continue to sanction their use, regardless. This threat to us is from within. The airline companies’ next move will be to try to jettison the bad planes for profit.