Regulators put curbs on use of Bombardier jets
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Operators of some Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO) aircraft have until Friday to comply with new restrictions issued by Canadian and U.S. aviation regulators after detecting safety problems, officials said on Wednesday.
Increasingly frequent instances of stuck or improperly operating flaps on Bombardier CRJ 100, 200 and 440 jets prompted a safety mandate from Transport Canada in July to all operators worldwide. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued its own directive in August.
No fatal accidents have been attributed to flap failures. The flaps are used to slow down the aircraft during landing.
"If the flaps aren't deployed when you're landing, you can still land safely but you need a bit more runway because you're landing at a faster speed than you would with the flaps," said Transport Canada spokeswoman Lucie Vignola.
There is also a risk of higher fuel consumption if a plane has to be diverted due to malfunctioning flaps, the regulator said.
The regulators require airlines flying the small jetliners to change their flight manuals, operational procedures and training to prepare crew for handling malfunctioning flaps. Additional maintenance will also be mandatory.
The planes were introduced in 1992 and are primarily used by commuter airlines flying for almost all major U.S. carriers.
The curbs apply to about 684 CRJ airplanes registered in the United States and 300 or more delivered to airlines elsewhere.
The restrictions are unlikely to have a significant financial impact because none of the affected models remains in production, according to a report in the online edition of the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
A spokesman for Bombardier's aerospace unit told the Journal the company issued a voluntary safety message to operators in March and has been working with regulators, airlines and suppliers.
No-one at Bombardier could immediately be reached for further comment.
(Additional reporting by Louise Egan in Ottawa)
