United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
FAA grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft
The US Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9 jets at the weekend.
It follows a scary mid-flight incident on an Alaska Airlines flight between Portland, OR and Ontario, CA.
Shortly after takeoff a fuselage panel including a window blew out.
The plane landed safely back at Portland.
“The FAA is requiring immediate inspections before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said.
“Safety will continue to drive our decision-making.”
The FAA is assisting the National Transportation Safety Board investigation into the incident.
The agency said inspection of each aircraft will take four-to-eight hours.
There are currently 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 jets in service.
Video taken a short time after the incident showed a large gap where the panel was with passenger oxygen masks deployed.
It caused a few minor injuries, the Port of Portland Fire Department said.
Alaska Airlines said it is liaising with Boeing to ascertain how it happened.
The aircraft is just a few months old, having received its certificate of airworthiness in October 2023.
“My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced,” Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci said.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Florida’s Tourism Boom: Dana Young Analyzes Surge in UK Visitors
Elliott Ferguson’s Vision: Elevating Washington DC’s Global Appeal
Empowering Travel Agents and Tour Operators: A Conversation with Go Nexus Group President
Expedia TAAP incorporates AI for their 100,000 registered agents
Travefy CEO & Founder Talks About Their Itinerary Management For Travel Professionals
MMGY’s Jonathan Sloan: A Tale of Triumph Amidst Adversity
Unlocking Opportunities: Viator Empowers Travel Agents with Innovative Tools and Expansive Offerings
Kazakhstan Explored: A Journey into the Unknown
Behind the Scenes of Vegas Tourism: Kelly Messina’s Insider Perspective
Preserving Mexico’s Beauty: A Conversation with Doris Patiño from Xcaret
Easton Wasinger Unveils Trawick: Affordable Travel Insurance with Exceptional Service
Deleted video
BA flight attendant taken off duty after boozy altercation
Passenger attempts suicide on Bangkok-London flight
Ship crew member arrested after stabbing attack
Report: Viking Sky outage could have been ‘one of the worst disasters at sea’
Spain hits Booking.com with record €530 million fine