April 09, 2008

Video

It could be a rough day for hundreds of travelers flying out of the city today, as American Airlines has canceled dozens of flights for safety inspections.

American grounded its fleet of 300 MD-80 passenger jets yesterday for more federally-mandated inspections related to wiring in the plane’s wheel wells. There is fear the wires could be damaged and prevent the landing gear from operating properly.

Of the roughly 500 American flights cancelled nationwide today, 34 were at LaGuardia, ten at Newark, and two at JFK. It is unclear how long the planes will be grounded, but airline officials say the cancellations, and inspections, are likely to continue through tomorrow.

An independent third party will be hired to review American’s processes for compliance with future FAA airworthiness directives, according to the airline’s officials.

Passengers waited in long, snaking lines for more than an hour to find out whether their flights had been cancelled.

“It’s horrible,” said one passenger. “They don’t give you any information. You just stand in line. I wish they’d tell me. If they’d tell me they can’t put me on any flights to Chicago today, I’ll go back home.”

“Actually, my flight at 6 a.m. was cancelled. They called me last night and told me, so I rebooked for 6:55 a.m., and I got here and found out it was cancelled,” said another flyer.

“Basically it’s a hassle, but I’d rather be safe than flying on a plane that’s not safe,” said a third.

The three area airports could lose a combined 85 flights per day while the inspections go on. One-third of the airline’s feet is being inspected, with the majority of the flights affected going to Dallas and Chicago.

American operates a total of 240 flights a day from LaGuardia, Kennedy, and Newark.

Yesterday, American grounded about 500 flights.

Last month, the airline scrapped more than 400 flights for the same reason.

A Federal Aviation Administration inspector ordered this latest round of inspections after being dissatisfied with the first one.

American Airlines says affected passengers are being put on other flights. The airline is offering meals, lodging, and ground transportation to those affected, and in a statement said it sincerely regrets the inconvenience.

The airline is also urging all customers to call ahead to make sure their flights on schedule.