Boeing 737 MAX 9s to get safety checks
• Globally, airlines and regulators are taking action after a cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight forced the plane to make an emergency landing
The latest blow for Boeing’s topselling 737 MAX aircraft came on Friday when a cabin panel blowout forced an Alaska Airlines flight to make an emergency landing.
US regulators have ordered a temporary grounding of certain planes for safety checks. That is not as severe a move as the grounding of all MAX-family jets worldwide nearly five years ago after two fatal crashes.
About 215 737 MAX 9 jets are in service, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Only about 171 have the plug door that was blown out.
Here is what regulators and airlines are doing as a result of the incident:
REGULATORS
US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): The FAA issued a directive on Saturday temporarily grounding certain 737 MAX 9 planes until inspections are performed, affecting 171 planes.
US National Transportation Safety Board: The independent US agency has started a probe.
Brazil’s ANAC: The aviation regulator said on Sunday the FAA ruling automatically applies to all flights in Brazil. In Brazil, only Copa Airlines operates the plane on international flights arriving and departing the Guarulhos Airport in Sao Paulo, it said.
Transport Canada: There are no Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes in use by Canadian operators, the watchdog said on Sunday said.
China’s regulator: Details have been sought on the incident, a person familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Bloomberg reported earlier that China, the first country to ground MAX flights in 2019, was considering whether to take action.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency: The entity adopted the FAA directive but noted no EU member state airlines operate an aircraft with the affected configuration.
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA): Inspections of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft had been performed satisfactorily, the DGCA said on Monday. The regulator had ordered one-time inspections of the emergency exits on all Boeing 737 8 MAX aircraft operating in India’s fleet on Saturday. None of the country’s airlines have the 737 9 MAX model.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): No UK-registered planes are affected. The CAA will require any 737 MAX 9 operators entering its airspace to comply with the FAA directive.
United Arab Emirates: The civil aviation authority said on Sunday that none of its national carriers have planes affected by the order.
AIRLINES
Alaska Airlines: The airline grounded its entire 65 MAX 9 fleet early on Saturday, but later returned 18 to service after earlier maintenance checks on the FAA’s order. It cancelled 170 flights on Sunday and 60 more flights on Monday following the FAA order.
United Airlines: The only other US airline that operates the jets said on Saturday it temporarily suspended service on all 737 MAX 9 aircraft to run inspections required by the FAA. Earlier, it had said that of its 79 MAX 9 planes, about 33 had already been inspected. United cancelled 230 flights on Sunday, or 8% of scheduled departures.
Copa Airlines: The Panamanian carrier said on Saturday it temporarily grounded 21 737 MAX 9 aircraft and that it “expects to return these aircraft safely and reliably to the flight schedule within the next 24 hours”. Some delays and cancellations are expected. As of end-September, the carrier had 26 737 MAX 9 in its fleet, but operates them in two different configurations.
Fiji Airways: The Fijian flag carrier said on Monday it was unaffected by the FAA grounding.
FlyDubai: The airline said on Sunday that its three Boeing 737 MAX 9s were not affected.
Turkish Airlines: The airline said on Sunday it had withdrawn five aircraft from service for inspection. The planes would be grounded at the first airport they landed at.
ABOUT 215 737 MAX 9 JETS ARE IN SERVICE INTERNATIONALLY. HOWEVER, ONLY ABOUT 171 HAVE THE PLUG DOOR THAT WAS BLOWN OUT