Some Boeing Co. 737 Max 9 aircraft have been grounded across the United States and will directly affect other 171 simillar planes across the world following an incident in which the aircraft fuselage section blew off.
Details indicate that a brand-new Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet fuselage section blew out shortly after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole.
Federal Aviation Administration said Alaska airlines, the world’s second biggest operator of the 737 Max 9 type, had already grounded its Max 9 fleet in the wake of Friday’s incident after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
“Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a post on X.
The forced grounding marks the most severe response to an incident since the manufacturer’s entire fleet of Max aircraft was temporarily taken out of service in 2019 following two deadly crashes.
The 737 Max is by far Boeing’s most popular aircraft and its biggest source of revenue, with single-aisle jets like the Max and the corresponding Airbus SE A320neo family used on the most widely flown shorter routes.
Only two US airlines operate the 737 Max 9 variant: United with 79, and Alaska with 65.
Alaska said late Saturday it was pulling all of its 737-9 Max jets — including 18 that had recently undergone inspections as part of regular checks and were returned to service — pending details of possible additional maintenance work required by the FAA.
There was no guarantee if further work will be required before the jets return to service, and disruption to travel is expected to last through mid-week, the carrier said.
