American Airlines Statement on MD-80 Aircraft Maintenance

FORT WORTH, Texas, March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - It has been widely reported that the FAA has increased the auditing of maintenance records of all airlines. During the audit of American Airlines, a joint team of AA and FAA inspectors raised questions regarding an already accomplished directive concerning how a certain bundle of wires is secured to the MD-80 aircraft. We are re-inspecting the MD-80s to make sure the wiring is installed and secured exactly according to the directive.

Because the process can take several hours per aircraft, we have had to cancel approximately 200 flights as the aircraft are being inspected. Many inspections have already been completed and the aircraft are currently in service. We are in the process of completing the inspections on the remaining airplanes and will return them to service on a rolling basis throughout the day.

About American Airlines

American Airlines is the world's largest airline. American, American Eagle and the AmericanConnection(R) airlines serve 250 cities in over 40 countries with more than 4,000 daily flights. The combined network fleet numbers more than 1,000 aircraft. American's award-winning Web site, AA.com, provides users with easy access to check and book fares, plus personalized news, information and travel offers. American Airlines is a founding member of the oneworld(R) Alliance, which brings together some of the best and biggest names in the airline business, enabling them to offer their customers more services and benefits than any airline can provide on its own. Together, its members serve nearly 700 destinations in over 140 countries and territories. American Airlines, Inc. and American Eagle Airlines, Inc. are subsidiaries of AMR Corporation. AmericanAirlines, American Eagle, the AmericanConnection(R) airlines, AA.com and AAdvantage are registered trademarks of American Airlines, Inc. (NYSE: AMR)

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