UK temporarily banned Boeing 777 flights

The United Kingdom, following the United States and Japan, banned the operation of Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000-112 engines on its territory after the incident in Colorado. This was stated by the British Minister of Transport Grant Shapps. The ban, he said, is temporary.

On February 21, the plane of the American company United Airlines caught fire and the engine failed during a flight from Denver to Honolulu. Some of its cladding fell into residential areas. No harm done. The US aviation authorities are investigating.

Earlier, the head of the US National Transportation Safety Board Robert Samwalt called "metal fatigue" the likely cause of the incident.

After the incident in Colorado, Boeing recommended the suspension of the operation of Boeing 777 aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney 4000-112 engines. Japan has already followed these recommendations. The Federal Air Transport Agency reported that Russian airlines do not operate Boeing 777s with this engine model.