Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 5:49:05 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying

Posted Apr 11, 08 6:55 PM CDT in Business 

(Newser) – American Airlines flew about half of its MD-80s on schedule today but will ground another 200 for inspections tomorrow morning, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports. Execs said that all planes should be back on track by tomorrow night. CEO Gerard Arpey accepted blame for the groundings that have canceled 3,000 flights, saying, "We were not in technical compliance, and that is our failure.”

But a union official blasted the Federal Aviation Administration, calling its regulations for wiring in MD-80 aircraft a “moving target.” "Hundreds of highly trained FAA award-winning technicians, the best in the business, with decades of experience, didn't simply get it wrong," he said. AA has not yet punished any workers, who are working at all hours to make its planes FAA-compliant.

Source Fort Worth Star-Telegram

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • FAA Questions American's Lightning Safety

    May 16, 08 1:40 PM CDT
    FAA Questions American's Lightning Safety The FAA is questioning American Airlines' new policy on lightning inspections, and its opener is: Why doesn’t American do them anymore? American recently forbade its mechanics from doing extensive lightning damage checks unless pilots suspected a strike, a move designed to reduce delays and cancellations. Big airlines are typically allowed to tweak safety standards, reports the Wall Street Journal. More »

  • American Airlines Report Roasts FAA

    May 2, 08 10:16 AM CDT
    American Airlines Report Roasts FAA American Airlines blames the FAA for its recent grounding of thousands of flights, the Wall Street Journal reports. The airline is set to deliver a report today that says 3,300 flights were canceled because FAA headquarters reversed a "handshake deal" the airline had with regional aviation officials that was supposed to allow the company to comply with changes in FCC wiring standards on its MD-80 aircraft without cancellations. More »

  • Airline Blames Feds for Grounded Planes

    Apr 19, 08 3:03 PM CDT
    Airline Blames Feds for Grounded Planes American Airlines is tired of taking the heat for 2,000 flight cancellations that travelers endured last week, the New York Times reports. The once-contrite company is now criticizing the FAA, saying its new safety guidelines are unclear and unfair. “We don’t know what the rules are,” said an American technical crew chief. The company says its safety issues were minor deviations from technical standards that had been considered acceptable for years, and could have been fixed gradually. More »

  • Washington Vows Better Airline Safety

    Apr 18, 08 9:06 PM CDT
    Washington Vows Better Airline Safety Today Washington vowed to beef up airplane inspections and demanded to know why American Airlines stranded 250,000 travelers last week, the AP reports. "No one at all was well served by what happened," US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters said. But she defended federal regulators, saying they did not overreact after learning of lax inspections on Southwest Airlines planes last month. More »

  • American Airlines Cleared to Fly Again

    Apr 12, 08 2:05 PM CDT
    American Airlines Cleared to Fly Again Federal officials cleared American Airlines today to resume flying all but three of its grounded MD-80 jets, the AP reports. American wanted to run a full schedule today, but "we still need to get the planes positioned for their next flights," a company spokesman said. The full fleet of aging planes will be on schedule by tomorrow morning, the AP reports. More »

American Airlines CEO Gerard Arpey.   (AP Photo/LM Otero)
American Airlines chairman and chief executive Gerard Arpey. The airline expects to cancel 200 more flights tomorrow.   (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
The American Airlines arrival board is seen at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. The airline hopes to resume regular schedules tomorrow PM.   (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 4)

Tags

American Airlines • FAA • flight cancellation • inspection • Boeing MD-80 • Gerard Arpey • Transport Workers Union


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Business Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »