Safety checks are being carried out by the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) with immediate repairs conducted if flaws are found.

But a CAAC official declined to disclose details of the inspections or how many Boeing jets are in service in China.

Sources with Boeing China Inc revealed there were 378 Boeing jets in China, accounting for 64 percent of the 587 airplanes in use in the nation's skies.

The official made the remarks on the faulty fuel pump issue after reports that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had issued an emergency order to its airlines to inspect 1,440 Boeing jets to see if the wiring was flawed, which could lead to an explosion.

"Boeing is working closely with the supplier and the FAA to properly correct and resolve this issue to ensure flying safety," said Laura Qiu, a public relations official with Boeing China Inc.

Boeing issued two "All Operators" telexes on Wednesday and Thursday after discovering several faulty fuel pumps had been installed on Boeing 737-NG, 747 and 757 airplanes between January and August this year, she said.

The supplier received several returned fuel pumps that had failed during operations, she said.

The failure was due to improperly routed wire bundles folded inside the chamber of the pump.

The wires consequently became chafed and worn and electrical shorting occurred, Qiu said. This condition could result in an ignition source inside the fuel tank.

On Thursday, Boeing issued a second "All Operators" telex providing instructions on how to ensure the fuel pump inlet remained immersed in fuel under all operating conditions.

These procedures will also be issued as an Operations Manual Bulletin to all affected operators, according to Boeing. "Boeing is committed to safety and takes seriously every issue and recommendation that might impact on the potential safety of its fleet," Qiu stressed.

A total of 116 airplanes have been identified as having suspected faulty fuel pumps, Qiu said.

According to officials with Boeing, airlines are being ordered to keep enough fuel in the tanks to cover the devices.

According to reports quoted by the Associated Press, the FAA has said no serious incidents have been linked to problems with the pumps.

It is estimated 1,250 pumps could have a problem with wires placed too close to a rotor and which could chafe, said FAA.

Foreign airlines operate about 2,100 Boeing jets and the FAA is sending advisories about the pumps to its counterpart agencies in those countries, reports said. Boeing spokeswoman Liz Veridier said her company sent the airlines a bulletin on Wednesday ordering the pumps to be replaced on 116 new planes that had been put into use this year, reports said.

(China Daily September 3, 2002)