Aerospace company Boeing has hit back at a report that claims hundreds of its planes have an electrical flaw near the fuel tank that could cause a fire or explosion. Citing an Airworthiness Directives rule posted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the report said that Boeing's 777 liners are at risk of "electrostatic discharge" near its center-wing fuel tank. "This condition, if not addressed, could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank and subsequent fire or explosion," the directives uploaded on FAA website noted.
It also said that the possibly deadly fault would affect nearly 300 of Boeing's aircraft across the US: the 77-200, -200LR, -300, -300ER and 777F series jets.
But Boeing slammed the report, saying it "sensationalises" a routine regulatory process.
"It makes incorrect connections and sensationalises the standard regulatory process that has helped ensure air travel is the safest form of transportation," Boeing said in a statement to The Independent. "This is not an immediate safety of flight issue. There are multiple redundancies designed into modern commercial airplanes to ensure protection for electromagnetic effects. The 777 fleet has been operating for nearly 30 years, and has safely flown more than 3.9 billion passengers."
Major American operators that use Boeing 777 in their fleet are American and United Airlines.
The FAA too said that there was not an immediate safety risk to flights.
"The FAA bases its airworthiness directive timelines on the risk involved. If the agency determines something is an urgent issue, it requires immediate action," a source in the agency The Independent.
"The proposed Boeing 777 airworthiness directive would give operators a certain amount of time to make the fixes that Boeing described in its November 2023 alert," the source further said.
Boeing has been under scrutiny since a door panel on a 7373 Max 9 blew out mid-air in January, when the plane was over Oregon. The plane was operated by Alaska Airlines.
However, pilots were able to land safely, and there were no injury.
