American Airlines Expected to Cancel Hundreds More Flights
By Terry Maxon and Dave Michaels, The Dallas Morning News
Apr. 10–American Airlines is expected to cancel more than 900 flights today, the latest sign of how stepped-up scrutiny of airline safety is causing turbulence for carriers and passengers alike.
In the space of three days, the airline will have scrubbed 2,500 flights from its schedule to inspect and repair jets that American had grounded only two weeks earlier and that the airline thought met federal regulations.
But what was OK a few weeks ago no longer meets the Federal Aviation Administration’s requirements.
Pressed repeatedly to explain why American Airlines had grounded 300 airplanes that supposedly had already been inspected and fixed, American executive Dan Garton offered the same answer each time.
FAA inspectors are now demanding a very strict adherence to the requirements of airworthiness directives, and American was slow to recognize it, said Mr. Garton, American’s executive vice president of marketing.
In the past, American’s mechanics had enjoyed “certain latitudes” to make sure an airworthiness directive was followed. Not anymore, Mr. Garton said.
“I think what they [mechanics] didn’t understand is that there is a sort of greater focus on strict enforcement or strict compliance with the rules of the AD,” Mr. Garton said at a Wednesday press conference.
“The rules have gone to a very strict level of enforcement, and we will meet that and get the planes back in the air.”
The FAA has been under fire since it was learned last month that Southwest Airlines — with the knowledge of local FAA officials — had continued flying several dozen airplanes that should have been grounded for safety inspections in March 2007.
Last week, FAA inspectors told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee that they had raised safety issues at Southwest and other carriers and that supervisors had ignored their concerns and in some cases had inspectors transferred.
Rep. Peter DeFazio, a senior Democrat on the House panel, said last week’s congressional hearing exposed a “cultural shift” toward cozy relations between the FAA and airlines.
American’s groundings point out there is renewed supervision by the FAA, he said.
“The airlines are suddenly worried about real scrutiny by real inspectors who are allowed to do their jobs again,” said Mr. DeFazio, D-Ore.
American canceled about 1,100 flights Wednesday, on the heels of nearly 500 canceled flights Tuesday, as it inspected and modified the wiring harnesses on its fleet of McDonnell Douglas MD-80. It expects to cancel more than 900 flights today.
“We are working very hard now to return the airline to normal,” Mr. Garton said. “This is a very large task, but we’re working hard to accomplish that, and then also to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.”
The grounding was particularly embarrassing for American because it had canceled nearly 500 flights in late March for the same reason — to inspect and modify the wiring harness on the same airplanes.
American returned the jets to service two weeks ago because the airline wasn’t explicitly told it was out of compliance, according to two officials with knowledge of the matter.
Instead, the carrier was told by a regional FAA official that there was the “appearance of noncompliance,” which gave the carrier latitude to make its own decision.
“They were never really given the message” that the airline hadn’t met the 2006 directive, said a federal official, who asked not to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak about the audit.
An airline official, who asked not to named because of the sensitivity of the matter, said American thought it had a deal last weekend with regional FAA officials to let it continue flying the fleet while it reinspected the airplanes.
But if there was a deal, it disappeared Monday after FAA officials reassigned Thomas E. Stuckey, division manager for flight standards based in Fort Worth, to another unnamed job.
The FAA inspected a small number of American jets Monday and told the airline that the wiring harness didn’t meet the airworthiness directive.
“If you’re not in compliance, you must ground the aircraft,” Mr. Garton said.
Rep. John Mica, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said there is an “overabundance of caution” among airlines since Southwest Airlines’ safety lapses were exposed.
“It’s one more millstone around the neck of the major carriers when they are getting slammed by high fuel prices,” said Mr. Mica, R-Fla.
Mr. Garton carefully steered around questions about whether American was caught in the middle of a political fight between the FAA and Congress.
“I don’t know what’s going on at the FAA. I only know that if this is the way it’s going to work, we’ve got to do a better job of being in compliance with it,” Mr. Garton said.
American is bringing in an outside consultant to make sure it is complying with all airworthiness directives, he said.
“We cannot put our customers through this again,” he said.
Terry Maxon reported from Dallas and Dave Michaels from Washington, D.C.
tmaxon@dallasnews.com
dmichaels@dallasnews.com
TIPS FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES PASSENGERS
Scheduled on a flight today? Check your flight status before heading to D/FW Airport by calling American Airlines at 1-800-433-7300 or going to AA.com .
Heading out of town later this week and have some flexibility? Customers scheduled to fly on an MD-80 airplane between today and Friday whose flights haven’t yet been cancelled may reschedule them without penalty by calling the airline. Rescheduled itineraries must begin by April 17.
Need a reimbursement for rebooking or an overnight stay? Customers whose flights have been canceled may request compensation by contacting American’s customer relations department in writing. Send request to P.O. Box 619612, MD2400, DFW Airport, Texas 75261-9612. American also has an electronic complaint form.
–Air Canada: 1-888-247-262 –Alaska Airlines: 1-800-252-7522 –Continental: 1-800-525-0280 –Delta Air Lines: 1-800-221-1212 –Northwest Airlines: 1-800-225-2525 –United Airlines: 1-800-241-6522 –US Airways: 1-800-428-4322
A spokesman from Southwest Airlines said there were still seats available on flights from Dallas Love Field, however the carrier does not have an interline agrement with American. To contact Southwest, call 1-800-I-FLY-SWA (1-800-435-9792).
HISTORY
The grounding of nearly 300 American Airlines jets Tuesday is just the latest blow to the nation’s aviation system and the public’s confidence in airline safety. In the past month alone, travelers have learned that:
Southwest Airlines in March 2007 continued to fly airplanes that should have been grounded until they were inspected, and that local FAA officials let the airline do so. The FAA proposed a $10.2 million fine against Southwest in the situation.
American and Delta Air Lines grounded their MD-80 aircraft to inspect the wiring harnesses and canceled hundreds of flights each.
American Eagle Airlines briefly grounded a fleet of 25 regional jets while it cleared up questions about whether those Bombardier aircraft were in compliance with inspection requirements, and United Airlines reinspected some Boeing 747s to make sure their instruments read correctly.
A House committee blasted the FAA’s oversight of airlines and its ignoring of whistle-blowers who revealed problems with aircraft inspections.
The FAA suspended the top flight safety regulator for its Southwest region, which includes oversight of American and Southwest Airlines.
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