U.S. regulators ordered Southwest Airlines Co., American Airlines and six other carriers to check newer Boeing 737 jets for loose parts following a fire that gutted a China Airlines plane last week.
The airlines have 24 days to check a portion of the 737 wings for loose or missing parts, said Les Dorr, a spokesman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The requirement issued by the FAA covers 783 Boeing 737s operated by U.S. carriers, he said.
A loose wing-slat bolt that punctured the fuel tank was the likely cause of the Aug. 20 fire on a China Airlines Boeing 737-800.