Delta faces nearly $1 million in fines for safety violations

Delta Air Lines faces almost $1 million in fines by U.S. regulators for failing to perform repairs on two aircraft.

The airline made 20 flights on a Boeing Co. 737 with a chip on its nose cone after being notified of the issue by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector on Feb. 25, 2010, the agency said. The plane flew to destinations including Mexico City, Miami and Washington, but not out of the Twin Cities. The proposed fine is $687,500.

Delta also made 884 flights between May 25, 2010, and Jan. 3, 2011, on an Airbus SAS A320 that had a broken cockpit light, the FAA said. Airlines are allowed to defer such repairs for no more than 10 days. The proposed fine is $300,000.

Delta said it never operated either aircraft unsafely and that once it verified the FAA's concerns it took the necessary actions to ensure the planes "were in full compliance with the regulatory requirements."

Fines are often lowered before final resolution is reached.

BLOOMBERG NEWS