The AP has some nicely worded statements about compliance and risks in the airline industry:

FAA spokeswoman Lynn Tierney said the agency is simply doing its job.

“We are aware and sympathetic … 100,000 people being stranded is extraordinary,” Tierney said. “But the role is clear, it’s a regulator’s role and you have to enforce the regulations. We understand the disruption this causes, but (the airlines) had 18 months to complete the work.”

Tierney is referring to the safety order issued on the Boeing Co. MD-80 aircraft that have been grounded by American, Midwest and other airlines in recent days. The FAA issued an airworthiness directive on those planes after reports of shorted wires, evidence of worn-down power cables, and fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer. It was effective Sept. 5, 2006, and the airlines had 18 months to comply.

“The FAA is doing what it’s chartered to do: enforce safety regulations,” said David Castelveter, a spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents the nation’s largest airlines. “It is yet to be seen if they are going too far.”

It is interesting to watch this unfold and compare with discussions in IT departments about the time to comply with patching and upgrade directives.