American Airlines Grounds Another 595 Flights

For the fourth straight day, American Airlines kept a quarter of its schedule, 595 flights, on the ground. Thousands were stranded on Friday when the nation’s largest airline continued safety inspections on the MD-80 airplanes in its fleet.

Since mid-March when the Federal Aviation Administration reported failed safety inspections of  the MD-80, more than 300,000 passengers flying American have been left stranded. In total, more than 3,700 flights for U.S. carriers have been grounded. That number will likely grow through the end of June as the FAA continues its inspection of all jets.

Customers booked on MD-80 flights with American were asked on Friday to check the airline's website, AA.com, to find out the status of their flight. Ticket holders can also call American’s reservation line at 800-433-7300.

60% of American’s MD-80 flights were expected to be in operation by late Friday, with normal operations returning by the end of Saturday.

Customers whose flights were cancelled have options. American Airlines said customers can apply either for a credit toward another ticket or for a full refund. The airlines also urged those who were faced with the added expense of an overnight stay due to the cancellations to apply online for compensation.