Airline Inspections Cause Massive Flight Cancellations

American Airlines canceled another 900 flights on Thursday, or about 40 percent of its daily total of 2,300, after making only slight progress in getting its 300 MD-80 jetliners flying again.

The MD-80s, used mainly on domestic routes, account for nearly half of American’s total fleet of full-size passenger jets. They were grounded Tuesday afternoon for re-inspection of the wiring bundles in their wheel wells, after the Federal Aviation Administration said that some bundles were not secured properly.

The airline, the nation’s largest, canceled 460 flights on Tuesday and 1,094 flights on Wednesday, stranding thousands of travelers and affecting the plans of more than 100,000 people.

Southwest Airlines Fined For Operating Flights Without Mandatory Inspections

Andy Pasztor writes:

Accusing Southwest Airlines Co. of serious and deliberate safety violations, federal aviation regulators proposed a record $10.2 million civil penalty against the carrier for operating more than 61,000 flights over nearly a year without performing mandatory inspections for potentially hazardous structural problems.

The penalty is believed to be the largest such fine ever imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration on a major U.S. passenger carrier. The maintenance problems have prompted investigations by the Department of Transportation and a congressional committee, which are looking at both the low-fare carrier and allegations of lax oversight by the FAA.

I can't remember if I've ever flown on a Southwest Airline. I am now hoping that I never have, at least not in the past year!