Ryanair to carry out checks on 23 aircraft

Ryanair is to carry out checks on 23 of its Boeing aircraft after a warning from the US manufacturer about defective fuel pumps.

Boeing said that as many as 3,280 aircraft - 737s, 747s and 757s - could be affected by the fault, which has the potential to cause a mid-air explosion.

The fears arise from the possibility that wiring on fuel pumps has been positioned too close to a rotor. Chafing could produce sparks, which could in turn ignite fumes from the highly-flammable aircraft fuel.

A Boeing spokesman said that no accident had been caused by the problem, but said the company was concerned about it and would replace any faulty pumps discovered in the inspections.

Ryanair uses only 737s, but the warning concerns only its newer aircraft - the 737-800 series. A spokeswoman said the problem, which is the subject of a directive from the Federal Aviation Agency, would not disrupt schedules.

In a statement, the company said: "Ryanair can confirm that the new airworthiness directive being issued by the FAA will affect its fleet of 23 new 737-800 aircraft and Ryanair will fully comply with these new requirements. These requirements will cause no disruption to the operation of our aircraft."

British Airways has begun checking 117 of its aircraft for the fuel pump fault. Aer Lingus does not have any of the planes covered by the warning

The latest Boeing alert follows one which was issued last month about the same problem, but which estimated that only about 116 aircraft were affected.

(Additional copy from PA)