The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has issued a directive to Chinese airlines to carry out safety checks on their Boeing 737 aircraft, following a similar order from the US FAA.
On 10 March, Boeing issued a message to aircraft operators to inspect the elevator tab control mechanism on 737s, after a Ryanair aircraft was diverted from its destination due to severe elevator vibration and extensive damage to its tab control system.
Boeing's bulletin was followed by a directive from the FAA to airlines to carry out the checks.
The CAAC has ordered checks on 737s of the -600 variant and upwards, say local media reports. This is similar to the FAA's directive.
A Boeing China spokesman says Chinese airlines are conducting checks of their aircraft. "If they need support, we will help them," he adds.
Up to 160 737s might potentially have safety issues, says the spokesman.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
