AA has had problems with its MD-80 aircraft
AA cancellations top 3,000
11 April 2008Cancellations of American Airlines flights over the past week are set to top the 3,000 mark today as the carrier continues to grapple with aircraft inspection problems.
The airline has grounded large sections of its MD-80 fleet over the past week in order to carry out checks to bring the aircraft into compliance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety requirements.
Wiring problems were discovered in some of the planes during FAA inspections and airports in New York, Atlanta and Chicago were among the worst hit.
AA's widespread cancellations had knock-on effects for other carriers, including Midwest, Delta and Alaska Airlines, which also called off flights.
More than 250,000 people are thought to have been left stranded by the disruptions.
Gerard Arpey, chairman and chief executive of AA, apologised to customers and said that the airline will do "whatever it takes" to assist people who have been affected by the problems.
The company has returned some of its MD-80 aircraft to service and hopes to have its fleet fully restored over the coming days.
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