The US Federal Aviation Agency has ordered the inspection of more than a thousand Boeing 737 jets amid concerns a faulty part on the tail fin could cause serious safety issues.
The air safety regulator ordered the "airworthiness directive" for all 737 aircrafts that fly in the U.S airspace.
Australian airlines will also need to inspect 120 new Boeings, with six models said to be affected.
The agency in concerned that the tail plane fixing pins in the horizontal stabilisers underperform when they corrode. The horizontal stabilisers manoeuvres the plane’s movement up and down, cbcnews reported.
"We are issuing this AD to prevent premature failure of the attach pins, which could cause reduced structural integrity of the horizontal stabilizer to fuselage attachment, resulting in loss of control of the airplane," the FAA said in a release.
The directive requires airline to look for and, where necessary, replace corrosion-prone pins.
The total cost of replacement parts is expected to be around $10 million.
Image: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters