The FAA is investigating after six people were hospitalized following an incident on an American Airlines flight to Hawaii on Saturday.
17.01.2024 - 15:37 / travelandleisure.com / Mike Whitaker
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will keep the beleaguered Boeing 737-9 Max planes grounded until it approves the aircraft manufacturer’s inspection and maintenance process.
The FAA said the planes will remain grounded until it approves an “extensive and rigorous inspection and maintenance process.” The agency said it currently needs “additional data” from Boeing after reviewing the company’s proposed inspection instructions.
“We are working to make sure nothing like this happens again,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement. “Our only concern is the safety of American travelers and the Boeing 737-9 MAX will not return to the skies until we are entirely satisfied it is safe.”
As part of the initial inspections of their respective 737-9 Max fleets, both Alaska and United Airlines found loose bolts and hardware. Both airlines have canceled hundreds of flights since the incident. United told Travel + Leisure the airline typically schedules about 200 flights per day on the Max 9, while Boeing-related cancellations for Alaska could affect as many as 150 flights per day.
The planes were initially grounded after an Alaska Airlines 737-9 MAX aircraft suffered a dramatic mid-air blowout of a plug door panel on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, on Jan. 5. Prior to the incident, the aircraft had reportedly been restricted from flying to Hawaii after a warning light possibly indicating a pressurization problem had lit up on three different flights.
«It is time to re-examine the delegation of authority and assess any associated safety risks,» Whitaker said in an additional statement. «The grounding of the 737-9 and the multiple production-related issues identified in recent years require us to look at every option to reduce risk. The FAA is exploring the use of an independent third party to oversee Boeing’s inspections and its quality system.»
Alaska welcomed the decision in a statement and said the carrier would “enhance our own quality oversight of Alaska aircraft on the Boeing production line.”
The FAA is investigating after six people were hospitalized following an incident on an American Airlines flight to Hawaii on Saturday.
The Boeing 737-9 Max was cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week to return to scheduled service for the first time since a harrowing Alaska Airlines incident on January 5 cast doubt on the plane’s safety. Both Alaska and United, the only two U.S. carriers that operate the model, said that flights on the Max 9 will start as early as this weekend. But the question remains: Will passengers also return, or will they steer clear of the troubled jet?
A major travel search engine is giving people the option of excluding flights using Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft from its results.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has laid out a path for the beleaguered Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to return to service as soon as Friday after a mid-air blowout grounded the planes.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it is halting any production expansion of the Boeing 737 Max, after a door plug suddenly fell off an Alaska Airlines jet.
Federal regulators on Wednesday cleared the way for Boeing 737 Max 9 jets to fly again — but also said they would put new limits on production of the troubled planes.
Based on its inspection of the first 40 of more than 170 jets, the Federal Aviation Administration appears ready to allow the Boeing 737 Max 9 back in the air.
The Boeing 737 MAX is again in the news following the sudden cabin decompression on an Alaska Airlines flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California.
Alaska Airlines has begun preliminary inspections on some of its Boeing 737-9 Max aircrafts this weekend, adding that up to 20 planes could undergo inspection, the company said on Saturday.
Alaska Airlines said it will extend its cancellation of Boeing 737 Max 9 flights through Tuesday, Jan. 16, for planes that have been grounded since last week’s mid-air cabin panel blowout.
Some Seattle fliers are switching their trips to Delta Air Lines as hometown carrier Alaska Airlines’ schedule takes a hit from the latest Boeing 737 Max grounding.
The Boeing 737 Max 9 grounding in response to the Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 plug door incident on January 5, 2024, has caused many travelers to reconsider travel plans. Below are some of the latest developments and actions that air passengers can implement.