WSJ: FAA Ready To Fine American Airlines
The FAA is ready to drop a 25-million dollar hammer on American Airlines for maintenance issues that caused the airline to cancel thousands of flights two years ago. American's not confirming the story and the Wall Street Journal does report that the Federal Aviation Administration has not made its final decision which could yet be several weeks away. Even so, the Journal quotes insiders, anonymously, who say the FAA seems ready to propose a civil fine that would be nearly three times bigger than anything ever levied against a U-S airline. The current record is a nine-million dollar penalty charged against Eastern Airline in 1987. The proposed fine against Fort Worth-based American stems from improper electrical wiring that forced American to ground its entire fleet of MD-80 jets until mechanics fixed the problem. The FAA argues the faulty wiring could have led to fires and explosions but American insists passenger safety was never compromised.
