| 6 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago Delta grounds planes for safety inspections
|
(NECN/ABC) - Airline passengers across the country can expect huge disruptions today.
Delta will follow American Airlines in pulling planes to check for possible
wiring problems.
The latest disruptions come as the FAA cracks down on audits of
maintenance records.
Expect to see more of this at airports throughout the country: flight boards
saying "canceled" or "delayed."
On Wednesday, problems with wiring led American Airlines to ground nearly
300 of its MD-80 aircraft.
The inspections found slight problems with how bundles of wiring had been
Installed on 80 jets.
Today Delta will be checking the same wiring on at least 133 planes.
This all started earlier in the month when Southwest airlines was slapped
With a record $10 million dollar fine for flying 60,000 flights without
required inspections.
The FAA came under fire for not grounding the planes.
Now all domestic airlines are checking their maintenance records.
Aviation experts say these measures show the safety system is working.
John Nance/ABC news aviation consultant
"These are safety inspections done so far in advance of there being anything
critical; it is the safety system working as it should, not un-safe
Airplanes being pulled off the line."
Knowing that there are some safety concerns has these passengers nervous.
"I'm not necessarily upset, but now that I know the reason
I guess
have a big concern." "yeah, I hope our flight is safe."
The inspections continue at American and Delta which could mean delays or
cancellations. Call or check the websites before you go to the airport.
ABC’s Viviano Hurtado has more.
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