All Boeing 737-9 Max Aircraft Grounded!
On Saturday January 6, 2024 an Alaska Airlines flight 1282 Boeing 737 Max9 departed Portland for Ontario California suffered a blowout in midair. After climbing to 16, 000 feet the aircraft had a "plug door" blown off over the city of Cedar Hills, Portland causing an immediate depressurization of the aircraft. Immediately the oxygen masks were deployed, the aircraft turned back to Portland and all 174 passengers and 6 crew members made it safely on the ground at 5p.m. PT.
Certified and delivered in November 2023 by Boeing the aircraft was only in service for eight weeks before this incident. Federal officials in the USA have decided to ground all 737 Max 9's including all foreign carriers flying the aircraft in the United States (said to be approximately 171 Max9s flying worldwide) until a complete inspection of all the aircraft has been completed and the aircraft deemed safe. The inspections are said to take from 4 to 8 hours per aircraft.
The immediate grounding caused a cancellation of 160 flights affecting 23,000 customers with more delays slated for the coming days.
Boeing has been suffering much controversy over the past few years with 737 max groundings, delays in 777 aircraft production as well as some issues with 787s. Why do you think Boeing is having these issues? Let us know in the comments below.