Airplane engine flaw hurts GEnx

The United States airlines using General Electric Co GEnx jet engines will be required to inspect their planes for signs of the type of flaws that led to a July explosion, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings Inc, the only carrier flying the Boeing Co jets with those engines, found nothing wrong on one of its 747-8 freighters on Friday and was inspecting the other aircraft, the FAA said in an e-mailed statement. A formal directive is being prepared, the FAA said.

The FAA plan heightened the scrutiny on the GEnx since a Boeing 787 Dreamliner spewed hot metal engine parts during a July 28 test in Charleston, South Carolina. There have now been three instances of damage to GEnx engines, which are used only on Boeing's two newest planes, the 787 and the 747-8 jumbo jets.