The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that the agency approved the plan to allow Southwest Airlines to continue operating 128 aircraft earlier grounded for missing a required maintenance check.

FAA spokesman Lynn Lunsford confirmed that the agency approved the plan after talking with Southwest and Boeing, the manufacturer of the planes.

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The aircrafts will be allowed to fly for a maximum of five days as the checks are completed, said Southwest spokesperson Brandy King.

The FAA and Southwest Airlines on Tuesday announced that a total of 128 Boeing 373 aircraft owned by the airline have been grounded after missing a requirement maintenance check.

The airline voluntarily removed the aircraft from service because the planes have not undergone a required maintenance check on the standby hydraulic system.

"The airline voluntarily removed these aircraft from service while the FAA works with Boeing and Southwest to evaluate a proposal that would allow the airline to continue flying the planes until the inspections are completed over the next few days," the FAA said.

Southwest spokesperson Brandy King said the airline canceled about 80 flights Tuesday and expected to cancel up to 19 more on Wednesday while some inspections are done.

She said the airline expected to finish "a good portion" of the inspections by Wednesday morning. The grounding covers about one-fifth its fleet.

On late Tuesday, Southwest representatives attempted to negotiate a rather peculiar arrangement with FAA officials and federal regulators so that they could still fly the planes while the checks were being completed.

The FAA approved the arrangement, on condition that the maintenance check be conducted within five days.

Southwest Airlines have more than 3,400 daily national and international flights, which means not being able to use the 128 planes, which represent one fifth of its fleet, would have a major effect.

TagsSouthwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines Grounded Plane