American Slapped With Big Fine, Still Has Enough Cash For New Planes

Five months after the FAA started it's maintenance crackdown following the Southwest Airlines debacle, the agency is still at it. This time they've dropped the hammer on American Airlines with a $7.1 million fine for differing safety related maintenance items on their aircraft. They are alleging the airline flew two MD-83s 58 times last December while knowingly using the wrong provisions of its Minimum Equipment List (MEL). For both aircraft, the problems were noted by an FAA inspector or in the pilot's log, however, American maintenance returned both aircraft to revenue service only to make the fixes at a later date. Part of the fine also includes past deficiencies in its drug and alcohol testing programs and for allegedly operating aircraft in past years without timely inspections of emergency escape path lighting systems. The FAA is adamant with the high amount on the fine because they believe "the carrier did not follow important safety regulations intended to protect passengers and crew."

In an unrelated story from the same day, American sealed the deal with Boeing to finalize an order for an additional 26 Next-Generation 737-800s bringing their total on order to 36. The move comes as American desperately tries to jump start it's fleet renewal program amidst high oil prices with a fleet backbone of fuel hungry MD-80s.

[FAA and Boeing]

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