From Air Transport Intelligence News - London
Gulf Air temporarily grounds 767 fleet for maintenance checks
Kerry Ezard, London (01Mar07, 10:42 GMT, 231 words)
Middle East carrier Gulf Air has temporarily grounded its Boeing 767-300ER fleet for maintenance checks after discovering traces of corrosion on one of the aircraft.
Gulf Air says the corrosion was detected during a regular maintenance check, and the carrier has for safety reasons ordered an “immediate and thorough check of all aircraft of the same type” in its fleet.
The airline has warned passengers that this could lead to “significant delays” while aircraft are re-positioned in its network, but notes that the 767s are expected to return to service “within the next few days”.
Gulf Air operates a fleet of nine 767-300ERs, mainly on routes to the Indian sub-continent and the Far East. The carrier says it has offered alternative travel arrangements to passengers affected by the grounding, including “as a last resort” travel with other airlines.
“We have made this decision in line with our ‘safety first’ philosophy,” says Gulf Air head of corporate affairs Reem Antoon. “An initial evaluation by the technical team indicates that within the next few days the 767s should gradually return to service.”
Gulf Air earlier this month reaffirmed its commitment to replacing its 767 fleet, stating that it would introduce new aircraft “progressively in accordance with market demand and commercial constraints”.
The Bahrain-based carrier, which also operates Airbus A320s, A330s and A340s, has not indicated the type of aircraft it plans to introduce.