American cancels more flights, promises normal service soon
American Airlines said it will cancel 200 flights on Saturday as part of a safety clampdown that has seen thousands of planes grounded this week, but predicted normal service would resume shortly.
By Agencies |
WASHINGTON: American Airlines said it will cancel 200 flights on Saturday as part of a safety clampdown that has seen thousands of planes grounded this week, but predicted normal service would resume shortly.
Airline spokesman Tim Smith said the fleet of about 300 MD-80 planes, which was grounded earlier this week for a new round of inspections in wheel well wiring, "should be restored by the end of the day Saturday."
"It looks like the light at the end of the tunnel," he added, after a week of chaos in airports across the United States caused by American Airlines' cancellation of about 3,300 of its flights since Tuesday.
On Thursday, American's chief executive, Gerard Arpey, said he took personal responsibility for grounding the MD-80 planes, a large part of its fleet.
He also strongly defended the safety of the airline's planes and its checks.
"I put my kids on these airplanes all the time," he told reporters, adding that "irrespective" of the safety rules enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration, "no one would put a plane in service that wasn't safe."
The FAA began a new round of safety checks on all domestic US flights after it fined Southwest Airlines a record 10.2 million dollars for flying dozens of planes without undergoing fuselage inspections.
Inspections have also grounded hundreds of United, Southwest, Delta, Alaska and Midwest Airlines flights in recent weeks, although FAA acting administrator Robert Sturgell has stressed now is "the safest period in aviation history."
Airline spokesman Tim Smith said the fleet of about 300 MD-80 planes, which was grounded earlier this week for a new round of inspections in wheel well wiring, "should be restored by the end of the day Saturday."
"It looks like the light at the end of the tunnel," he added, after a week of chaos in airports across the United States caused by American Airlines' cancellation of about 3,300 of its flights since Tuesday.
On Thursday, American's chief executive, Gerard Arpey, said he took personal responsibility for grounding the MD-80 planes, a large part of its fleet.
He also strongly defended the safety of the airline's planes and its checks.
"I put my kids on these airplanes all the time," he told reporters, adding that "irrespective" of the safety rules enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration, "no one would put a plane in service that wasn't safe."
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The FAA began a new round of safety checks on all domestic US flights after it fined Southwest Airlines a record 10.2 million dollars for flying dozens of planes without undergoing fuselage inspections.
Inspections have also grounded hundreds of United, Southwest, Delta, Alaska and Midwest Airlines flights in recent weeks, although FAA acting administrator Robert Sturgell has stressed now is "the safest period in aviation history."
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