According to reports, a passenger named Phil Hardy had a flight scheduled with Virgin Atlantic from Manchester, England, to New York City’s JFK Airport on January 15. However, his plans were derailed when he discovered a wing panel was missing four fastening bolts.
In an interview, Hardy said that he informed a flight attendant, leading to the cancellation of the Airbus A330 trip minutes before departure.
A spokesman from Virgin Atlantic informed the press that the flight was canceled so that further engineering maintenance inspections could be conducted as a precaution. The airline sent customers to other flights to New York City.
The Virgin Atlantic spokesman assured the public that the aircraft could have safely flown without the missing fasteners.
Neil Firth, the A330’s local lead wing engineer at Airbus, confirmed that the jet was still safe to fly despite the missing bolts from a secondary structural panel. As he explained it, the panel enhances the aircraft’s aerodynamic performance. The 119 fasteners per panel ensured that the wing’s structural integrity and load capabilities were unaffected, allowing the aircraft to continue operations without risk. The aircraft was subjected to an extra maintenance inspection, and the fasteners were changed as a safety measure.
In a statement, Virgin Atlantic informed the media that the jet had been inspected and was back in service, adding that they apologized to passengers for the delay in their flights.
Although it is not a safety concern, Virgin Atlantic has had many problems this year, including the recent cancellation of a flight.
According to reports, a Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 that was flying from Manchester to Barbados on January 7 had an emergency landing when the smell of smoke entered the cockpit.
Firefighters responded to the area after the plane had successfully landed, and the airline issued a statement stating that the emergency landing was due to technical concerns.
