Older regional airplanes must get more frequent safety checks on a key valve

US aviation regulators want to increase how often a specific valve is checked on all ATR42 and ATR72 airplanes. This is because a design review found that the current inspection schedule might miss hidden failures in the valve. Airlines would need to perform these functional tests more often and fix any issues found.

Airlines operating these regional planes will now face higher maintenance costs and potential downtime for inspections. This change means that a part previously assumed to be safe for longer intervals is now considered a higher risk for dormant failures. It shifts the burden from potential in-flight issues to more frequent ground maintenance.