171 planes are not allowed to take off
Indefinite flight ban for broken Boeing
January 13, 2024, 7:25 a.m
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A dramatic incident occurs on a Boeing 737 Max 9 at an altitude of almost 4,900 meters and a part of the cabin breaks out. The US aviation authority is initially ruling with a temporary ban on flights. Now she is taking more drastic measures.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has extended the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft indefinitely. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the ongoing grounding of 171 aircraft is “for the safety of American travelers.” 40 of the aircraft need to be re-inspected. The authority will then examine the results and decide whether safety is sufficient to allow the Max 9 to fly again.
The authority said on Monday that the flight ban would be lifted as soon as the aircraft had been inspected. “We are increasingly focused on the manufacturing process,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Friday.
Under stricter supervision, the regulator will examine the production line and suppliers of the Boeing 737 Max 9. They will then consider having an independent body take over certain aspects of the safety certification of new aircraft that the FAA previously assigned to the aircraft manufacturer.
Hundreds of flights canceled
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two US airlines that operate the affected aircraft, had to cancel hundreds of flights last week because of the grounding. On Friday, both airlines canceled all Max 9 flights through Tuesday, and United canceled several more flights in the following days.
After a dramatic incident with a cabin part breaking out of a Boeing 737 Max 9 at an altitude of almost 4,900 meters, the US aviation authority stopped 171 aircraft of the type from taking off for the time being last week. The component broke off after take-off on an eight-week-old Alaska Airlines jet with 177 people on board and tore a door-sized hole at the height of the rows of seats. However, the pilots were able to turn the machine around and make an emergency landing. There were only a few minor injuries.