FAA

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Rich Grouse as FAA Moves to Reroute Jets

Residents of tony suburbs fight plan to decongest air traffic

(Newser) - Wealthy Northeasterners are fighting FAA plans to decongest air traffic by rerouting jets, sending them over many upscale suburbs, reports USA Today. The FAA says it can cut delays by 20% and save airlines $285 million by fixing routes around New York and Philadelphia, but the rich and politically connected...

New Engine Could Rev Green Flight

Less fuel, emissions, and noise

(Newser) - In what is being hailed as the most exciting development in commercial aviation technology in years, Pratt & Whitney has developed a revolutionary jet engine that burns up to 15% less fuel and cuts carbon emissions by 1,500 tons per plane per year. The engine, which is also quieter...

Will Fewer Flights Mean Fewer Delays?

Sorry, says FAA: don't expect airlines to cut on crowded routes

(Newser) - With fuel prices soaring into the skies, fewer airplanes will be following suit, but don't think that translates to less time on the tarmac. Airlines' cutbacks will ground planes, but mostly on less-traveled routes to smaller cities, the New York Times reports. The congestion at LAX and JFK isn't likely...

FAA Questions American's Lightning Safety

Mechanics grumble after airline stops inspections

(Newser) - 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...

American Airlines Report Roasts FAA

Airline blames policy switch for thousands of canceled flights

(Newser) - 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...

Air Safety Experts Most Worried About Runways

Ground incidents increase over last six months

(Newser) - FAA-mandated wiring fixes have grounded thousands of flights lately, but the runway is no safe place for planes, New York Times reports. Serious runway incidents nearly doubled to 15 over the past six months, compared with the same period a year ago. “Where we are most vulnerable at this...

Airline Blames Feds for Grounded Planes

Safety guidelines unclear and unfair, company says

(Newser) - 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,”...

Washington Vows Better Airline Safety

Teamsters prez blasts plan as 'window dressing'

(Newser) - 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...

American Airlines Cleared to Fly Again

All but 3 jets are flying today and schedule will resume tomorrow

(Newser) - 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...

American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying
American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying

American Gets Half of MD-80s Flying

Will cancel another 200, but aims to be on track in 24 hours

(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,...

American Airlines Cancels 570 Flights for Tomorrow

Company says it expects to be back in full operation by Saturday

(Newser) - American Airlines plans to cancel another 570 flights tomorrow, providing little relief for passengers in a jam after three consecutive days of massive snarls, the AP reports. The airline, however, said it was making progress getting wiring up to snuff on its MD-80s and planned to have the entire fleet...

Key Inspector Says FAA Crackdown Long Overdue

Agency's renewed inspection efforts long overdue, sweeping changes needed

(Newser) - The Federal Aviation Administration is too lax, and its recent toughening-up long overdue, the Transportation Department’s inspector general Calvin Scovel told senators today. The agency should not rely, as it has until recently, on airlines to voluntarily disclose safety oversights, and shouldn’t provide loopholes for the appropriate penalties...

Flight Chaos to Continue as FAA Gets Tough

Crackdown will continue through June 30

(Newser) - Air travelers should brace themselves for several more months of chaos: the wave of FAA audits that began March 30, producing more than 2,000 canceled flights this week, will continue through June 30. In an effort to toughen enforcement of safety standards, the agency has moved to relying less...

American to Cancel 900 More Flights Today

Continued passenger misery ahead as safety work continues

(Newser) - American Airlines expects to cancel 900 more flights today as the airline works to bring its MD-80 aircraft up to FAA standards, the New York Times reports. Thousands more travelers will be stranded at airport hubs, and the problem could spill into tomorrow. American is just the latest airline to...

1,000 American Flights Now Grounded Amid Inspections

FAA concerns over wiring issues prompt second voluntary round of cancellations

(Newser) - American Airlines has now canceled more than 1,000 flights as it inspects wires in its 300 MD-80 aircraft, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Federal Aviation Administration raised concerns about recent inspections of the wiring, the same issue that grounded more than 400 flights last month. The process, which...

Passengers Air a Record Number of Complaints

Skies unfriendlier than ever

(Newser) - Airline passengers on domestic flights are unhappier than they've been in years, with consumer complaints up 60%, according to the annual Airline Quality Rating survey. Long delays, cancellations, overbooking, late arrivals, and lost baggage accounted for most of the complaints, which haven't been this bad since 2000, reports the AP....

FAA Too Cozy With Airlines, Whistle-Blowers Say

Lawmakers cite agency's 'complacency' in letting safety risks fly

(Newser) - An overly cozy relationship between airlines and the federal agency tasked with inspecting them has lawmakers worried in the wake of hearings yesterday on Capitol Hill, the Chicago Tribune reports. Federal Aviation Administration officials let serious safety issues fly, ignoring maintenance and inspection regulations, safety specialists, government overseers and whistle-blowers...

Southwest Tried to Cover Up Safety Issues: Inspectors

FAA too cozy with airlines, they say

(Newser) - Southwest Airlines tried to cover up maintenance problems, and the FAA almost let them, according to two inspectors who will testify before Congress today that the agency is too cozy with airlines. When the inspectors realized Southwest was flying dozens of jets without required inspections, their superiors did nothing, they...

Delta Latest to Cancel Flights
 Delta Latest to Cancel Flights 

Delta Latest to Cancel Flights

Following American's shutdown, voluntary inspections ground older planes

(Newser) - Delta Airlines canceled dozens of flights today and tomorrow after voluntarily grounding 133 of its older jets for inspections, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. As with American Airlines, Delta is checking wiring on some McDonnell-Douglas jets to ensure compliance with FAA directives. "It's an inconvenience," one traveler said,...

American Cancels 171 Flights to Inspect Boeing Jets

Dozens of planes grounded to check out wiring issue

(Newser) - American Airlines canceled 171 flights today, benching almost its entire fleet of Boeing MD-80 twinjet aircrafts, the Chicago Tribune reports. American said it was inspecting how a “certain bundle of wires” was attached to ensure it complied with an FAA directive. But American said the grounding was voluntary, not...

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