The Federal Aviation Administration plans to issue an
emergency directive on Tuesday that "will require operators of specific
early Boeing 737 models to conduct initial and repetitive electromagnetic
inspections for fatigue damage."
FAA noted the directive would "initially" impact
about 175 aircraft, 80 of them operating in the United States. "Most of
the aircraft in the U.S. are operated by Southwest Airlines," according to
an FAA statement.
Southwest canceled flights on Sunday and Monday to inspect
Boeing 737 aircraft after an incident on Friday in which a hole ripped open in
a plane's fuselage, forcing an emergency landing.