Horizon Air gets 16 of 33 planes back in service
seattletimes.nwsource.com
Horizon Air says it has inspected 16 of its 33 Q400 turboprops and returned them to service.
By Tuesday, the Seattle-based airline says, it will have a modified schedule that would accommodate almost all of its currently booked customers. The airline hopes to return to its regular schedule by Sept. 25.
Hundreds of flights -- about one-fifth of Horizon's normal departures -- have been canceled over the past three days while the Bombardier (bom-BAR'-de-ay) Q400 planes were inspected. The landing gear failed on two such planes in Europe. Horizon says it hasn't had any problems with its planes.
Horizon has reported about 100 service problems related to landing gear on Q400 planes in the past five years, according to Federal Aviation Administration records, but most appear to be minor or not related to the Scandinavian Airlines landing incidents.
Horizon said the airline has not experienced issues similar to those reported by Scandinavian since taking its first order of Q400 planes in 2001.
Horizon has a total fleet of 74 planes. It is a subsidiary of Alaska Air and flies to 48 cities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, British Columbia and Alberta.
