The Federal Aviation Administration said that it will closely monitor Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes once they return. FAA's Administrator Mike Whitaker announced this effort on Friday, Jan. 12.
An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 plane sits at a gate at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on January 6, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. Alaska Airlines grounded its 737 MAX 9 planes after part of a fuselage blew off during a flight from Portland Oregon to Ontario, California.
Recently, the American airplane manufacturer Alaska Airlines made headlines after an alarming in-flight blowout happened during an AS flight involving a 737 Max 9 aircraft.
Passengers shared their traumatizing experience, saying that they could feel the gush of air while they made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport.
To ensure that this won't happen, the Federal Aviation Administration will thoroughly check all 737 Max 9 airplanes once they are operational again.
FAA To Closely Monitor Boeing 737 Max 9 Airplanes Once Operational
During a telephone interview, the FAA head claimed that a manufacturing issue caused the Alaska Airlines mid-flight blowout incident.
Mike Whitaker added that it's clear that the alarming incident wasn't caused by a design problem. Because of this, he vowed that the Federal Aviation Administration would conduct a comprehensive audit of Boeing production issues.
Whitaker said that this will start with the 737 Max 9 airplanes. After that, the FAA will closely monitor other airplane models.
"This has been going on for a while and whatever's happening isn't fixing the problem," said the FAA administrator via Yahoo News.
He added that "there's no chance of this happening again." Mike Whitaker promised that they would not approve any Boeing 737 Max 9 to return until the American aircraft developer convinces them to do so.
When Will Boeing 737 Max 9 Airplanes Return?
A worker is pictured next to a Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplane on the tarmac at the Boeing Renton Factory in Renton, Washington on March 12, 2019. - US President Donald Trump on March 13, 2019, announced a plan to ground all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft amid intense international and political pressure.
As of writing, it is still unknown when will Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes will return to duty. Boeing also hasn't made any comment regarding the comprehensive audit that the FAA will conduct.
However, the American manufacturer said that it would cooperate with the FAA and NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board) on their investigations and other activities to ensure that the in-flight blowout will not happen again.
FAA recently said that if Boeing wants its 737 Max 9 airplanes to become operational again, it needs to provide instructions to airlines.
Boeing must properly guide air travel service providers on how to inspect and maintain plugs.
"Boeing offered an initial version of instructions yesterday which they are now revising because of feedback received in response," said FAA on Jan. 10.
"Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing the FAA will conduct a thorough review," it added via Los Angeles Times.
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