Older ATR-72 airplanes need new maintenance checks to stay in the air

The US aviation regulator proposes new maintenance rules for certain ATR-72 airplanes. This means operators will have to update their inspection programs to include new or stricter safety checks.

Airworthiness directives are how regulators force airlines to update their safety practices. These changes often come from new information about how parts wear out or how systems fail over time. For airlines, this means new costs for inspections and potentially grounding planes for longer maintenance periods.