Alaska Airlines will carry passengers again on Friday, three weeks later, with the Boeing 737 Max 9 whose door broke in the air. United Airlines will fly 79 Boeing 737 Max planes again as of Sunday.
How did the plane door break?
This decision came right after the Federal Aviation Administration (FHD) inspected the planes and allowed the flight. The incident on Alaska Flight 1282 occurred when a disabled emergency exit door broke off in the air, causing uncontrolled decompression.
The plane returned safely 20 minutes after takeoff, but there were no serious injuries. However, the incident exposed Boeing to criticism and during FHD’s inspections it was revealed that loose bolts were found on other aircraft.
While the CEOs of Alaska and United harshly criticized the American manufacturer, FHD executive Mike Whitaker said, “Let me be clear: It will not be business as usual for Boeing.” The official also said he would reject the expansion of 737 Max production that he is investigating.
In a statement Wednesday, Boeing said it will fully cooperate with FHD to strengthen safety and quality and complete the necessary inspection procedures to safely return the 737-9 aircraft to service.
Both Alaska and United announced that some Max 9 aircraft that have not gone through the full inspection process will not return to service immediately and that they expect all inspections to be completed within the next week. So what do you think about this issue? You can write in the comments section below.