Out of a total 75 Boeing 737s, Qantas has none above 30,000. This may vary from airline to airline, but we can use Qantas as an example. Of the 1,000 planes they have checked, faults were found in less than 5% of them. Globally, Boeing has checked all planes above 30,000, and a third of those above 22,600. The airline does not have any planes above 30,000. The airline then urgently checked all 737s between 22,600 and 30,000 cycles, completing this within seven days rather than the seven months required. This week, Qantas discovered that three of its planes that were below the 30,000 mark had cracks (at 27,000 cycles). Planes below 22,600 do not need to be checked until they reach that milestone. Last month, a global aviation regulation was issued requiring all Boeing 737s with more than 30,000 lifetime cycles to be urgently checked – within seven days.ħ37s with between 22,600 and 30,000 also need to be checked, but within seven months. The issue is related to the number of flight cycles a plane has gone through.Ī cycle is one take-off and landing – with most commercial planes going through roughly 1,700 cycles a year. It strengthens the connection between the wing and the body of the plane.īut, as this article from the ABC points out, the pickle fork is not the only thing that holds the wing in place. The pickle fork lies between the wing and the fuselage. The Australian aircraft engineers union has called on Qantas to ground all of its 737s.īut Qantas and other affected airlines say that they have completed the relevant checks, and are proceeding with an abundance of caution.ĭr Garth Pearce, a senior lecturer in aerospace engineering at the University of New South Wales, says this should be enough to ensure the safety of all passengers. So far, 50 aircraft around the world have been found with cracks, including nine in South Korea and three belonging to Southwest Airlines in the US.
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