American Airlines Cancels Flights For MD-80 Re-Inspection
American Airlines has announced nearly 500 flight cancellations and more are probably on the way as the week goes on.
The airline said the Federal Aviation Administration raised more concerns about the recent inspections of the wiring in its approximately 300 MD-80 aircraft. They also said they were not safety-of-flight issues.
Tim Wagner, an American Airlines spokesman, said an FAA inspector checked several planes Monday and found that some of the work performed last month didn't meet the agency's standards.
The FAA has tightened inspections of planes at all U.S. carriers since the agency came under fire for letting Southwest Airlines fly planes that had missed safety inspections. American and Delta Air Lines Inc. both canceled flights in late March to perform wiring-related inspections and repairs.
Wagner said the company started pulling planes out of service in mid-afternoon. The work may last just 10 to 20 minutes per plane, but could take longer if wiring needs to be re-bundled. He added that it is "quite possible" that the work — and flight cancellations — could stretch beyond Wednesday.
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