The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a new airworthiness directive (AD) for the Boeing 717 that will have a material impact on the operations of at least two US airlines. The AD was prompted by the investigation into a 2023 incident with a Delta Air Lines 717 that landed without nose landing gear, and requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the upper lock link assembly.

The AD will impact nearly 100 Boeing 717s that are currently active with Delta and Hawaiian Airlines . Both airlines operate fleets of the aging narrowbodies that are well into their third decade of flying. The high-frequency, shorter routes that the 717s fly also mean that they have a far higher number of accumulated cycles compared to other narrowbodies, and this additional maintenance

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