Egyptair, a state-owned airline based in Cairo, Egypt, announced Monday that it be grounding four of its Boeing 777s in light of recommendations made by both Boeing and the US' Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In a statement obtained by RIA Novosti, the airliner explained it would suspend four Boeing 777-200 aircraft in light of the Boeing and FAA recommendations until an official inspection protocol is established by regulators.
However, Egyptair further noted it would continue to fly six of its Boeing 777-300 planes since they are not equipped with the troubled Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines that officials are inspecting.
The latest development came after an investigation was initiated into the Saturday incident, with Boeing issuing a call for suspending the 777 fleet, specifically those powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines.
Although United Airlines is the only carrier to fly the Boeing 777 jet within the US, the specified plane makes up part of the fleets kept by Egyptair, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Asiana Airlines, Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines, according to Jon Ostrower, the editor-in-chief of The Air Current.
Boeing has indicated that a total of 69 of the aircraft are in use, and that another 59 such planes are currently in storage. The company has stressed that its call for temporarily suspending the aircraft will remain in effect until the FAA has identified an "appropriate inspection protocol" for the plane.
United Airlines grounded its 24 Boeing 777s a few hours after Boeing made its announcement. Regulators in Japan have also ordered airlines to stop flying the specified aircraft until further notice, with similar steps being taken by Korean Air Lines.
Video footage shared online over the weekend captured one of the plane's engine on fire as pieces broke off during the flight. Subsequent images taken from the ground showed how large pieces of metal fell onto a neighborhood in Broomfield, Colorado.
— michaela🦋 (@michaelagiulia) February 20, 2021
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) February 20, 2021
The incident did not prompt any reports of injuries, and the flight was able to safely return to Denver International Airport.
— Chris Vanderveen (@chrisvanderveen) February 20, 2021
A preliminary inspection by the National Transportation Safety Board has stated that two fan blades in the Pratt & Whitney engine had fractured during the Saturday flight, one nearly entirely whereas the other was half broken. The rest of the fan blades on the affected engine had sustained damages to their "tips and leading edges," according to initial findings. The remainder of the plane received minor damages.
The latest setback may sow further doubt around the safety of Boeing aircraft, as the company attempts to regain public confidence following the two fatal back-to-back crashes involving its 737 Max jets.
Although the jetliner was grounded worldwide for nearly two years, it has since been cleared to take to the skies once necessary modifications are made. The jetliner completed its first US commercial flight in December. Boeing is still facing multiple lawsuits by the families of passengers who died in the pair of crashes.
