FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told Congress this week that the agency is reviewing regulations for inspecting aging aircraft following the midair fuselage skin rupture on a Southwest Airlines 737-300. Babbitt testified before the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee to talk about 2012 budget priorities for FAA, but that issue was overshadowed by lawmakers' concerns over the SWA incident. Babbitt said he is "asking my team to review our aging aircraft program to ensure we are asking the right questions and taking full advantage of all available data. I want the traveling public to be assured that the system and the airplanes they fly in meet the highest levels of safety." He reminded Congress that FAA last November finalized a rule designed to protect current commercial aircraft and those designed in the future from structural damage as they age.
FAA WORRIES ABOUT AIRCRAFT AGE RANGES
