HOUSTON – As investigations into U.S. plane manufacturer Boeing continue, the number of airplanes they’re building is trailing off.
Both United Airlines and Southwest Airlines say they’re slated to receive a fraction of the airplanes they had on order for 2024.
The delay in Boeing jets is part of the reason why Southwest is pulling their service out of Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The company says they’ll still be flying out of their hub at William P. Hobby Airport.
At the same time, United Airlines told their pilots earlier in April that they’ll be offered unpaid time off, citing the delay in new Boeing jet deliveries.
As a result, Southwest Airlines is holding back how many of their old aircraft will be retired this year.
The company saying they planned on 46 new Boeing deliveries with 49 retirements. Now, they’re only expecting 20 planes this year and will retire just 35 jets.
This means older aircraft will be soaring through the sky for longer.
“I wouldn’t like to fly in an old plane, honestly,” Adam Elmasik saud.
He’s not the only one.
“Oh, so now they’re making the odds even worse, because that would be like me driving a car that needs to be put in the shop,” Cheryl Barfield said.
Is it really dangerous though?
Retired airline captain Richard Levy weighs in.
“Not true at all. Zero truth in that. They’re kept up to date,” Levy told KPRC 2′s Gage Goulding. “They’re revised. They have the newest, what we call avionics, the radios and navigation systems. And they’re safe as the brand-new airplanes They go through the same FAA required maintenance checks. And look, if something is not right on a new brand-new airplane or airplane that’s seasoned, that’s been around, maintenance will fix it. It will not fly until it is repaired.”
Among the top five major airlines in the U.S., both United and Southwest have some of the oldest average age of their planes.
However, Levy says each of those have to pass the same tests as a new plane.
“I mean, if they do pass inspections, I wouldn’t see a big problem with it,” Elmasik said.