Delay In Key Safety Rule Implemetation Could Mean $200 Million In Savings -- For Now

So you say your airline is just climbing out of the financial cellar? Are you still worried about the high cost of fuel and crude oil prices that have hit record levels over the past two days? Security costs got you down?

Well, the FAA is here to help, bunkie.

The agency is pushing back a key safety rule that will save airlines -- especially those with older fleets -- up to $200 million, according to the FAA.

Specifically, the government says it will delay for four years rules that require stepped-up inspections and maintenance of fuel systems.

Administrator Marion Blakey seemed truly sympathetic to the plight of cash-strapped airlines. "The FAA recognizes that operators will have difficulty meeting their obligations before the Dec. 6, 2004, compliance date," according to the regulatory notice she signed.

The rule was written in the wake of the TWA Flight 800 explosion. The Boeing 747 exploded off the coast of New York at the beginning of a trans-Atlantic flight, killing all 230 on board.

In a related development, the FAA said it's considering a three-year delay in rules that would force airlines to streamline their inspection and maintenance processes to ensure aircraft more than 14-years old are structurally sound. The compliance deadline was originally set for 2007, but could be delayed until 2010.

FMI: www.faa.gov