36 Boeing 737 NG affected by pickle fork cracks so far

Daily Newsletter | October 10, 2019
Aeroflot is keeping busy these days when it comes to sprucing up its fleet. The Russian flag carrier has cancelled its long-standing order for 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliners, as the airline awaits the arrival of its all-new Airbus A350XWB wide-body aircraft next year. The move will present another blow to Boeing, as the company seeks new business for the 787 in order to avoid future production rates cut.
After the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) on October 3, 2019, operators of Boeing 737NG aircraft, models 737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900, and -900ER, were forced to check for cracks on left and right-hand side suspension system, which connects the fuselage with the wings. The system, nicknamed the pickle fork, was designed to safely handle 90,000 flight cycles – the total lifespan of a Boeing 737 NG.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense announced the planned acquisition of nine additional Lockheed Martin F-35A fighter jets. The contract is valued at €1 billion and should eventually be followed by another order for six more aircraft.
For the past few months neither 737 MAX operators, nor the aviation authorities could provide a clear answer to the question of when the grounded aircraft will return. While Boeing has previously indicated that the troubled narrow-body will return to service in Q4 of 2019, leaving them two months to see their hopes come to fruition, airlines are a lot more skeptical while planning their schedules ahead of time.
After finding cracks in the right and left side wing trailing edges of in-service Airbus A380s, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued an airworthiness directive ordering operators to have inspections and, when needed, modifications performed on their superjumbos. 
AeroTime News

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