United Airlines confirmed on Friday it has delayed the return of some grounded Boeing 777 planes with Pratt & Whitney 4000 engines until at least May 12.
An engine on a United Airlines 777 jet failed shortly after takeoff from Denver in February 2021, showering debris over nearby cities but no one was injured and the plane safely returned to the airport.
"We continue to work conscientiously with Boeing, Pratt & Whitney and the to safely return these aircraft to service soon, and our current plan will allow them to return in the second half of May," United spokesman Joshua Freed said.United is the only U.S. operator of 777s with the PW4000 engine and has 52 of those planes. United shares closed down 1% Friday.
The FAA said the new directives, which were proposed in December after three reported in-flight fan blade failures, require enhanced inspections and modifications.In February 2021, FAA ordered immediate inspections before further flights, after the National Transportation Safety Board found a cracked fan blade on the United engine built by Pratt, a unit of Raytheon TechnologiesBoeing must develop a service bulletin laying out steps airlines must take to meet requirements.