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Virgin Atlantic canceled a flight to New York after a passenger noticed missing parts from the aircraft’s wing. The airline conducted additional maintenance checks following the incident.
What Happened: The U.K.-based airline canceled the flight after a passenger informed the crew about missing bolt fastener tops, as reported by Fox Business on Monday. The plane, an Airbus SE EADSF A330, was scheduled to fly from Manchester, England, to New York City.
The airline’s spokesperson stated that the cancellation was to allow for extra engineering checks. The checks revealed that four out of the 119 fasteners on the wing panel were missing. The missing parts were replaced, and the aircraft was deemed safe to operate.
“The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority and this was not compromised at any point,” Virgin Atlantic assured. “We always work well above industry safety standards and the aircraft is now back in service.”
Why It Matters: This incident comes at a time when the aviation industry is facing increased scrutiny over safety and maintenance issues. Just recently, United Airlines Holdings Inc UAL CEO Scott Kirby voiced his displeasure over Boeing Co‘s BA handling of ongoing quality issues, adding to the pressure on the aircraft manufacturer. However, not all airlines have been facing issues, as Alaska Air found no issues so far in their Boeing 737-900ER checks.
Moreover, Airbus clinched a significant order from Taiwan’s EVA Air amid Boeing’s quality control challenges, intensifying the rivalry between the two aircraft manufacturers.
Image Via Pixabay
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