--- title: "FAA Warns That After Pandemic, Long-Grounded Jets Could Experience Engine Failure" description: "In a Thursday emergency air worthiness directive, the FAA ordered the inspections of 2,000 Boeing 737 airplanes due to corrosion in their engines." date: "2020-07-24" modified: "2020-07-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/faa-pandemic-jets-engine-failure" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "air transport" - "air travel" - "boeing" - "FAA" - "the digest" --- # FAA Warns That After Pandemic, Long-Grounded Jets Could Experience Engine Failure ![In a Thursday emergency air worthiness directive, the FAA ordered the inspections of 2,000 Boeing 737 airplanes due to corrosion in their engines.]() *\Image: Altair78/Victor Tangermann\* ## Corrosive Evidence The aviation industry is experiencing a massive drop in demand during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. That means thousands of commercial airliners are being put in storage, patiently waiting to take to the skies again — that is, if we're ever willing to get in a plane again. Having the jets grounded for so long may turn into a significant safety issue in the future, [*NPR* reports](). In a Thursday [emergency air worthiness directive](), the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the inspections of 2,000 Boeing 737 airplanes — out of concern that disuse could cause their engine valves to corrode faster, possibly resulting in engine failure. https://twitter.com/petemuntean/status/1286618600091131904 ## Stuck Valves Inspectors have already found evidence of corrosion on some of the valves. In a worst case scenario, that corrosion could lead to the valves getting stuck open and causing both engines to loser power — and even prevent them from restarting, according to the FAA's directive. "With airplanes being stored or used infrequently due to lower demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, the valve can be more susceptible to corrosion," Boeing explained in a statement to *NPR*. The issue is reportedly not related to Boeing's [737 Max]() line of aircraft, which were involved in [two deadly crashes]() in late 2018 and early 2019. **READ MORE:** [FAA Orders Thousands Of Boeing 737s To Undergo Emergency Inspections]() \[*NPR*\] **More on Boeing:** *[Boeing Officially Halts Production of 737 Max Airliner]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()