More airlines suspend operations of Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft

United Airlines has temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspections at the request of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In a statement released on January 6, United Airlines said it is working with the FAA to determine the inspection process and requirements to return the aircraft to service.

Earlier, United Airlines announced that 33/79 of its MAX 9 aircraft had been inspected as required by the FAA. Alaska Airlines has also decided to suspend all of its aircraft of this type.

737 MAX 9 aircraft at Boeing's factory in Renton, Washington, US. (Photo: VNA)

Along with Alaska Airlines, United Airlines owns the world's largest MAX 9 fleet. To date, Boeing has delivered 218 737 MAX 9 aircraft to airlines around the world.

Also on January 6, Turkish Airlines announced that it would stop operating five of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft for inspection. The decisions were made after Alaska Flight 1282, carrying 171 passengers and six crew members, departed from Portland International Airport, Oregon, on the evening of January 5 and returned just 20 minutes later due to an incident. A window on the fuselage of the plane burst open, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.

According to data from the flight tracking website FlightAware, the plane climbed to 15,000 feet (4,876 meters) and then began to descend. Images posted on social media later showed a window on the plane gone, while emergency oxygen masks popped out above the seats.

The FAA said it is requiring immediate inspections of approximately 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft before they can fly again. The inspections will take between four and eight hours per aircraft. The FAA said the decision is to ensure passenger safety.

(Source: Tin Tuc Newspaper)

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