American Cancels More Than 1,000 Flights
DALLAS — Business trips and vacations were disrupted for tens of thousands of travelers Wednesday as American Airlines canceled more than 1,000 flights — nearly half its schedule — to fix faulty wiring that could cause a short-circuit or even a fire and explosion.
It was the latest — and largest — in a wave of cancellations at major U.S. airlines that have caused long lines at ticket counters and made flying even more stressful than usual.
Executives at American said safety was never compromised, and they suggested the nation’s biggest airline was the victim of suddenly stepped-up scrutiny by federal regulators.
American estimated that more than 100,000 travelers were booked on the canceled flights. Many had to scramble to book new flights and were stranded at hotels far from home.
The airline had already scrubbed 460 flights on Tuesday after federal inspectors found problems with wiring work done two weeks ago, during the first set of shutdowns.
A top executive said the cancellations would be a “significant” cost to American, and shares of parent AMR Corp. fell 11.1 percent, down $1.15 to $9.17.
The issue stems from an order that the Federal Aviation Administration gave airlines in September 2006 — and gave airlines until last month to meet — about the bundling of wires in the backup power system for the fuel pump of the MD-80 airplanes. The fear is that improperly bundled wires could rub, leading to an electrical short or even fire. However, no serious incidents have been blamed on the bundles, the FAA said.
(AP)
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I want to cheer this because of what AA did to me and TWA but geez. This crap hurts customers now and the regular employees in the end.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:02 pmI was supposed to be in Chicago today but…I’m not.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:04 pm