The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mandated that the grounding of Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft equipped with plug doors will continue until they confident that the planes are safe.
This directive impacts approximately 170 jets globally. The decision came after the incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight last Friday.
In response to this development, Boeing has provided initial instructions to operators for the inspection and maintenance of these aircraft. However, due to feedback from the operators, Boeing is currently revising these guidelines. The FAA will conduct a comprehensive review of the revised instructions once they are submitted.
“Every Boeing 737-9 Max with a plug door will remain grounded until the FAA finds each can safely return to operation,” the statement said. “To begin this process, Boeing must provide instructions to operators for inspections and maintenance. Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response. Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review. The safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service.”
Defects Discovered on Some of the Jets
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the only two U.S.-based carriers operating the MAX 9, have identified defects in some of their aircraft during preliminary inspections. Despite the grounding, airline officials remain optimistic. They anticipate that the inspections and necessary corrections to the door plugs could be completed across their fleets within a few days. As of now, there is no specific timeline for when the affected Boeing 737-9 Max jets will resume service.
