Qantas, Southwest stepping up checks for cracks in 737 NG aircraft after issues found
Business News
October 30, 2019 / 4:16 AM / Updated an hour ago
Jamie Freed, Tracy Rucinski
4 Min Read
SYDNEY/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN.AX) and Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) are stepping up checks for structural cracks on Boeing Co (BA.N) 737 NGs after discovering problems with planes that did not require urgent inspections, airline sources said.
The cracks are on what is known as the “pickle fork” - a part that attaches the plane’s fuselage, or body, to the wing structure.
Repairing the cracks requires grounding the airplane, with remedial work costing an estimated $275,000 per aircraft, according to aviation consultancy IBA.
Boeing on Oct. 11 said 38 planes worldwide had been grounded after urgent checks but has not provided a further update. The issue surfaced while the newer 737 MAX model is grounded globally following two deadly crashes.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Oct. 2 mandated checks of 737 NGs with more than 30,000 take-off and landing cycles within seven days.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-airplanes/qantas-southwest-stepping-up-checks-for-cracks-in-737-ng-aircraft-after-issues-found-idUSKBN1X90R7?il=0
and some reference for the non aviation folks explained
