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The "Aging Aircraft" Challenge

Perhaps you were recently caught up in the latest American aircraft MD-80-based flight cancellations here in the US. The airline was responding to increased FAA pressure to provide inspections on cable bundles in the aircraft wheel well. American had been given 18 months to do the required work in a directive in 2006 but for whatever reasons, put off the work till now. The rest is history. No doubt, if American had it to do all over again, they would have scheduled the inspections during regular maintenance but this lesson serves to underscore the upcoming firestorms around aging airplanes.
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