Warning over safety as jets return
Airlines urged to take extra care
published :
16 Dec 2020 at 12:00
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Delta Air Lines passenger planes are seen parked due to flight reductions at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Birmingham, Alabama on March 25. (Reuters photo)
SYDNEY: Regulators, insurers and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the Covid-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors.
The unprecedented number of aircraft grounded as coronavirus lockdowns blocked air travel -- at one point reaching two-thirds of the global fleet -- has created a spike in the number of reported problems as airlines return them to service.