United States: Alaska Airlines, a major American airline, has reported that it had cancelled 170 flights on Sunday and an additional 60 on Monday due to an order from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft so that inspections could be conducted.
This order was issued in the wake of a terrifying incident that occurred on Friday. While travelling from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, southern California, an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 carrying 177 passengers had to make an emergency landing due to a sealed-over door panel ripping off.
According to flight tracking information from FlightAware, the Boeing 737 MAX 9 was diverted approximately six minutes after takeoff at 5.07 pm after reaching 16,000 feet. At 5.26 pm, it performed an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
The cause of the mid-cabin door plug’s removal during flight, a cover panel installed in aircraft with smaller seat configurations to fill an unnecessary emergency exit, is still unknown at this point in the National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation.
Online FAA records show that the Boeing 737 MAX 9 was certified just two months after it rolled off the assembly line.
Since going into commercial service on November 11th, it has been on 145 flights, according to FlightRadar24. It was the aircraft’s third flight of the day when it departed Portland.
Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Airlines, Mr. Ben Minicucci, stated that every Boeing 737 MAX 9 would only be put back into service following comprehensive maintenance and safety inspections, which he expected the airline to finish in a few days.
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