Boeing recommends carriers halt some 777 flights pending FAA inspection guidance

Boeing Co said on Sunday it was recommending air carriers halt flights of 777 airplanes like the United Airlines plane that suffered a right engine failure until the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued inspection protocols.

Boeing said it recommends “suspending operations of the 69 in-service and 59 in-storage 777s powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines until the FAA identifies the appropriate inspection protocol.”

The FAA has said it will issue an emergency airworthiness directive ordering stepped-up inspections of Boeing 777 airplanes with the PW4000 engines.

That directive may not be issued until Monday, officials said. United said earlier in the day that it was temporarily halting all flights from its 24 777s with PW4000 engines.