The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of multiple Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft on Saturday for safety inspections following an explosion in the cabin that forced a new passenger-laden Alaska Airlines plane to make an emergency landing late Friday. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker stated that the agency "requires immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft before they can return to flight." He added, "Safety remains our driving factor as we assist in the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282."
Boeing expressed its support for the decision requiring immediate inspections of 737-9 aircraft with "the same structure as the affected plane." The FAA directive covers 171 aircraft and is expected to take effect later today. A section of the left side of the plane was torn off after taking off from Portland, Oregon, en route to Ontario, California, compelling the pilots to return and land safely. It had 171 passengers onboard and a crew of six. The aircraft had entered service just eight weeks prior.
The FAA's decision represents a new setback for Boeing as it attempts to recover from a series of safety crises, the COVID-19 pandemic, and accumulating debts. Boeing's best-selling model was grounded for nearly two years following crashes in 2018 and 2019. The cause of this apparent structural deficiency remains unclear, and there have been no reports of injuries. Alaska Airlines had previously suspended operations for dozens of Boeing aircraft to conduct safety checks. The company announced that it had completed more than a quarter of the inspections without finding any problems and would resume flights with those aircraft.
United Airlines stated that it temporarily suspended services for 45 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft as mandated by the FAA. Alaska and United are the only two U.S. airlines currently operating Max 9 aircraft, according to aviation data provider Cirium. Flight Radar 24 reported that Alaska Airlines canceled 154 flights on Saturday, or 20% of its scheduled flights, while United canceled 80 flights, or 3% of its schedule. Boeing stated that it is gathering more information and is in contact with the airline, adding that it supports the FAA's decision.
Passenger-captured images showed a section of the aircraft's fuselage, sometimes used as an exit door, missing from the middle of the cabin, leaving a door-shaped gap. Budget airlines often install additional doors because they add more seats, requiring more evacuation routes. However, these doors are permanently sealed on some aircraft, including Alaska Airlines' planes. Reports indicated that the seat next to the missing part of the aircraft, which had a regular window, was vacant.
The 737 Max was grounded worldwide for 20 months after two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019, resulting in the deaths of 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia. A knowledgeable source noted that foreign regulators, including China, requested details about the incident. Bloomberg reported earlier that China, the first country to suspend Max flights in 2019, is considering a decision in this regard. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has committed to following the FAA's directives regarding the Boeing Max 9, although it noted that no airlines in EU member states currently operate aircraft with the reported defect. The UK Civil Aviation Authority stated that it would require any airline operating Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft to comply with FAA directives to enter its airspace.
Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Oztunç mentioned on X platform that the airline has grounded all five of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for inspection and that the planes will remain at the first airport they land in. U.S. regulators temporarily grounded 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for safety inspections after the cabin explosion that forced an Alaska Airlines aircraft to make an emergency landing.
### FlyDubai Was Not Affected
FlyDubai stated to Gulf Times on Sunday that the three Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in its fleet were not affected by the FAA's decision to temporarily ground 171 aircraft of the same model for safety tests. A FlyDubai spokesperson confirmed to the newspaper, "Following the emergency airworthiness directive issued by the FAA on January 6, 2024, we can confirm that the three Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in our fleet were not affected." Additionally, he added, "FlyDubai operates the Boeing 737 Max 9 with a disabled mid-rear door system, which was not mentioned in the directive."
