Don't you get a free flight or 200 bucks if they bump you?
Let's see, 200 x 100,000
Maybe not.
American Airlines Cancels 570 Friday Flights [AMR]
4/10/2008 8:37:46 PM American Airlines, a unit of AMR Corp. (AMR), said late Thursday that it has canceled around 570 flights scheduled for Friday, as it works to complete the inspections of its MD-80 fleet.
American said 132 MD-80 aircraft were returned to service as of Thursday afternoon, with about 170 MD-80s expected to be available for service on Friday morning.
The cancellations at the world's largest airline continue what began late Tuesday afternoon, when American canceled 460 flights related to the MD-80 inspections. That follows the cancellation of 1,094 flights on Wednesday and more than 930 cancelled fights on Thursday. American Airlines runs about 2,300 mainline departures daily.
The inspections were conducted to ensure compliance with a Federal Aviation Administration directive related to the bundling of wires in the wheel well of the MD-80 aircraft. Specifically, the inspections examine the spacing of ties on the wiring bundles and the direction in which retention clips and lacing cords were facing.
The cancelled flights have left over 100,000 travelers stuck at airports, most of them from domestic flights. The airline said Thursday that it continues efforts to re-accommodate customers affected by these cancellations.
The airline added that customers with cancelled flights had the option of requesting a full refund or using their cancelled ticket as credit for future flights on American Airlines.
Additionally, customers scheduled to travel on any MD-80 flight between April 8 and April 13, even if their flight has not been canceled, may rebook without a change fee to any American Airlines with availability in the same cabin as long as their travel begins by April 17.
The inspections relate to a 2006 FAA order to ensure that wiring in the MD-80's right wheel well is properly installed and secured to guard against electrical shorts and fire.
The FAA, under pressure from Congress and government watchdogs, demanded in March that American reinspect MD-80s to ensure wire bundles were properly secured.
Last month, American Airlines had voluntarily cancelled about 200 of its flights, while about two-thirds of its 300-plane MD-80 fleet were temporarily grounded to ensure compliance. However, a follow-up inspection of several aircrafts by the FAA found incomplete work.
Other airlines operating MD-80 aircrafts have also grounded flights to inspect the wire bundles at the heart of a renewed safety crackdown by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Alaska Airlines canceled 11 more flights early Thursday as it continued to inspect its nine MD-80 jets.
Midwest Airlines canceled at least 10 flights Thursday after it grounded all of its 13 MD-80 planes to deal with the same issue.
Airlines are trying to combat rising fuel costs, which are considered to be the industry's biggest expense, by increasing ticket prices and adopting cost saving measures such as job cuts. Along with the credit crunch and oil prices, downturn aircraft delivery cycle is impacting the performance of the industry.
The recent flight cancellations may add extra costs, mostly because of lost revenue and the cost of rebooking delayed passengers.
Shares of American Airlines AMR Corp closed Thursday's regular trading session at $9.87, up 70 cents or 7.63% but lost 9 cents in after hours trading. |
