US federal regulators have temporarily grounded some Boeing 737 Max planes in American airspace after a section of an Alaska Airlines jet blew out in mid-air.
The emergency directive from the US Federal Aviation Administration affects about 171 jets worldwide. Carriers will need to inspect aircraft before further flight, a process that takes four to eight hours per plane, according to the directive.
“The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. “Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the [National Transportation Safety Board’s] investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”
The move is a blow to Boeing, which has struggled with manufacturing defects on the 737. It continues to experience the fallout from a 20-month worldwide grounding imposed by regulators after a pair of deadly crashes five months apart.
“Safety is our top priority,” Boeing said in a statement. “We agree with and fully support the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 airplanes with the same configuration as the affected airplane.”
Alaska grounded 65 jets in its own fleet after an incident on a Friday night flight from Portland, Oregon, to California. It turned around 35 minutes into the journey and returned safely to Portland.