Southwest Airlines Misses Inspections on 128 Planes
Southwest Airlines found themselves in a bit of heat with the Federal Aviation Administration today after the airline failed to complete required inspections on 128 of its Boeing 737 planes. The inspections were required to check the functioning capabilities of standby hydraulic systems on the planes.
Upon becoming aware of its failure to complete the overdue inspections on time, Southwest Airlines alerted the FAA regarding the problem and voluntarily grounded all 128 planes, canceling approximately 80 flights in the process. The Federal Aviation Administration has opted to offer the airline a five-day extension to complete all required maintenance checks. In the meantime, Southwest can continue to fly the planes up until the new deadline.
Southwest foresees “very minimal impact” to its business and customers and anticipates that the inspections will be completed in the five-day window allotted by the FAA.