American Cancels 171 Flights to Inspect Boeing Jets

American Airlines canceled 171 flights today, benching almost its entire fleet of Boeing MD-80 twinjet aircrafts, the Chicago Tribune reports. American said it was inspecting how a “certain bundle of wires” was attached to ensure it complied with an FAA directive. But American said the grounding was voluntary, not FAA-mandated. The planes will be brought back into service throughout the day.

But for now, at Chicago O’Hare, hundreds of would-be fliers are left stranded. “This is our second spring break in a row where we’ve had plans on American Airlines and we’ve been canceled,” said one traveler. “Needless to say, we are less than pleased.” The incident follows hot on the heels of an FAA-ordered inspection of all Boeing 737s. (More American Airlines stories.)