The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Friday that all Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes would remain grounded until Boeing provides additional data following a recent incident on an Alaska Airlines-operated aircraft. The FAA stated that the grounding would continue until extensive inspections and maintenance are conducted, and the data from these inspections are thoroughly reviewed.
The incident in question occurred on January 5 when Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland executed an emergency landing after a panel known as a “door plug” blew out mid-flight. Fortunately, there were no fatalities or serious injuries. The FAA has initiated a safety probe into the incident, marking the first significant in-flight safety issue on a Boeing plane since the fatal 2018 and 2019 737 MAX crashes, which led to a prolonged grounding of the aircraft.
The FAA emphasized its commitment to passenger safety, stating that the Boeing 737-9 MAX would not be allowed to return to service until the FAA is entirely satisfied with its safety. The regulator is awaiting additional information from Boeing before approving the proposed inspection and maintenance instructions. The FAA will review data from the initial round of 40 inspections and consider an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections.
The grounding has impacted numerous flights, with Alaska Airlines canceling around 110-150 flights a day through Tuesday due to the grounding. The FAA is taking additional steps to increase oversight of Boeing production and manufacturing, including auditing the 737 MAX production line and suppliers. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasized the need to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess associated safety risks in light of recent production-related issues.
The decision to extend the grounding underscores the FAA’s commitment to a thorough evaluation of safety measures and the aircraft’s airworthiness before allowing it to resume operations.