A US transport safety authority has recommended design changes to counter what it believes may be a potentially fatal flaw in the rudder mechanism of the Boeing 737 the most popular aircraft on routes between Ireland and Europe.
The Washington based National Transportation Safety Board has also urged new procedures to help pilots deal with the suspected fault, which is blamed for a sudden rolling effect during landing and may have been a factor in a series of accidents and near accidents in the US.
The Irish Aviation Authority said it would act upon any specific recommendations made by the US Federal Aviation Authority, which is now considering the NTSB's report.
The NTSB has recommended a 14 point plan to the FAA, urging it to ask Boeing to develop immediate operational measures and long term design changes to correct the problem before issuing airworthiness directives for the implementation of new procedures.
An Aer Lingus spokesman said he was not aware of any instances in which the rolling effect had occurred in the company's 16 Boeing 7375 - used on European routes - but added that the company would be bound by any recommended changes in practice.
A spokesman for British Midland - which also operates 7375 on Irish routes - said: "The 737 is reliable, a great workhorse, and we would take whatever action was recommended."
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