US carrier American Airlines scrapped another 900 flights on Thursday after cancelling more than 1,500 over the previous two days to inspect wiring on its fleet of MD-80 aircraft, according to dpa. The airline grounded the same planes just last month, cancelling 200 flights in connection with an industrywide probe by government aviation authorities to ensure compliance with safety inspections. Delta and United Airlines have both been forced to cancel flights in the past few weeks since the Federal Aviation Administration launched its audit of all airlines in late March. The audit was launched after the FAA fined low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines a record 10.2 million dollars for failing to meet safety regulations on its Boeing 737 aircraft. American Airlines Chief Executive Officer Gerard Arpey said the latest inspections were to ensure the planes were "in total agreement" with the FAA's directives, and said customers would be compensated for the delays. The airline said on its website that passengers could ask for a complete refund or apply their ticket price to future travel, and they could also reschedule their travel on flights through Wednesday.
