Around 171 Boeing 737 MAX-9s operated by various airlines across the world have been grounded for enhanced inspection, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. It all started on 5th January when a window along with a party of the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX-9 operated by Alaska Air fell off (Blowout as reported widely) when the flight reached an altitude of 16,000 feet. The flight had to make an emergency landing and luckily no passenger suffered serious injuries. 

However, the incident has led to wider security scrutiny as all aviation regulators globally and airlines operating the 737 MAX-9 planes, and even other variants of the 737 MAX family of aircraft have been asked to undertake security inspections. This has affected around 171 Boeing 737 MAX-9s globally resulting in flight cancellations and inconvenience to passengers. Alaska Airlines have grounded 65 Boeing MAX-9 aircraft following the incident.

However, it is important to note that while Indian airlines don’t operate Boeing 737 MAX-9s, they have been carrying out a “one-time inspection” of the exit doors of their Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft on DGCA’s directive. 

Here are the details of what happened so far and how various aviation regulators including India’s DGCA have responded to Alaska Airlines’ mid-air blowout incident. 

The Alaska Airlines mid-air incident that triggered this new security scare for Boeing planes

On 5th January (Friday), Alaska Airlines, the airline company, was operating a Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft for flight 1282 between Portland and Ontario (in California). Shortly after the flight took off, a window panel and a portion of the plane’s fuselage blew out. This caused decompression in the cabin and left a door-sized hole in the plane’s fuselage at an altitude of around 16,000 feet. The malfunction forced the pilots to make an emergency landing. 

As per reports, no passenger was seated in the area that witnessed the mishap. Sharing their experience, passengers told US media that they noticed a sudden gush of wind and a change in pressure adding that a boy suffered minor injuries and his shirt was ripped. 

However, all the 171 passengers and six crew on board the aircraft returned without any serious injury. The authorities stated that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the incident and the airline extended its full cooperation in its investigation. Following the mid-air blowout, Alaska Airlines grounded all of its 65 Boeing 737-MAX 9 aircraft.

AS1282 from Portland to Ontario, CA experienced an incident this evening soon after departure. The aircraft landed safely back at Portland International Airport with 171 guests and 6 crew members. We are investigating what happened and will share more as it becomes available.

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024

It has come to light that the aircraft involved in flight 1282 was a brand-new aircraft. It was delivered to Alaska Airlines on 31st October 2023. In an airline’s parlance, the part of the aircraft that blew off in the incident is called a plug door. It is a specific panel of the fuselage that is reserved for an optional emergency exit door and it is located near the rear (back) of the aircraft. According to aviation safety experts, the mishap could be a case of structural failure.

Low-cost carriers commonly install additional doors in aircraft to accommodate extra seat rows. This necessitates supplementary emergency evacuation routes. In contrast, aircraft with a relatively lower seat count, often seen in full-service carriers, may have the option to permanently seal such additional doors.

According to a Reuters report, citing sources, Kansas-based Spirit AeroSystems, which separated from Boeing in 2005, manufactured and installed the particular plug door that suffered the blowout. 

Indian Airlines asked to conduct a “one-time inspection”

Following the Alaska Airlines’ mid-air blowout, the DGCA on 6th January directed Indian Airline companies – Akasa Air, Air India Express, and SpiceJet to conduct a “one-time inspection” of emergency exits on all of their Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft.

As per airline fleet databases, there are currently 44 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft in operation in India. Akasa Air operates the most 737 MAX-8 planes in the country, with 22 aircraft. SpiceJet has 13, and Air India Express has nine.

While no Indian airline carrier uses the MAX-9 variant that was involved in the Alaska Airline incident, the DGCA has asked Indian carriers to inspect the aircraft as an “abundant precautionary measure”. Notably, the MAX-8 and MAX-9 variants of Boeing are part of the same aircraft family and share numerous similarities. 

As per the DGCA’s directive, all three Indian carriers operating the 737 MAX-8 are required to complete the inspections by noon on Sunday (7th January). 

Meanwhile, the carriers stated that they are in touch with Boeing to get more information on the Alaska Airlines incident, and will comply with the DGCA’s directive on the one-time inspection of emergency exits.

Air Aviation authorities around the globe ask grounding of Boeing 737 MAX-9s in line with the US FAA’s directives

On Saturday, the United States air aviation regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration ordered airlines to temporarily ground more than 170 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft for “immediate inspections” following the Alaska Airlines incident.

The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight.

Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the @NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282. – @FAA_Mike pic.twitter.com/YsuQimg2pq

— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) January 6, 2024

According to the FAA, as many as 171 aircraft worldwide are likely to be affected, with each inspection taking four to eight hours. 

As the leading reliable aviation regulator globally, the FAA sets the standard for safety-related measures. Numerous regulators and airlines in other countries often align their actions and directives with those established by the FAA in matters of aviation safety.

Following the incident, Alaska Airlines, the world’s second-largest operator (65) of this aircraft type, had already grounded its Max 9 fleet. United Airlines Holdings Inc., the leading operator of this model, also withdrew certain jets (79) for inspections in compliance with the FAA’s directive. Boeing told AFP that it has delivered a total of 218 737 MAX 9 planes globally.

The 737 MAX, Boeing’s highly popular aircraft variant, has faced safety challenges in the past. The recent incident involving Alaska Airlines has further dented its reputation, complicating Boeing’s ongoing efforts to restore public trust in the aircraft.

Troubled history for Boeing

Boeing introduced the 737 MAX aircraft family with great excitement a few years ago. However, the fleet faced a significant setback when two planes crashed within six months between October 2018 and March 2019. This led to global regulators grounding the aircraft worldwide. The first incident occurred in October 2018, with a Lion Air 737 MAX crashing in Indonesia, resulting in the tragic loss of all 189 people on board. In March 2019, another crash involving an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX claimed the lives of all 157 people on board.

Following extensive investigations, corrections, and testing, the FAA granted clearance to the 737 MAX in November 2020. Subsequently, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency also approved it in January 2021. However, the DGCA took more time, permitting the 737 MAX to resume operations only in August 2021. This made India one of the last major aviation markets to reintroduce the aircraft.

The recent incident involving Alaska Airlines occurred shortly after Boeing issued a directive for 737 MAX operators to conduct inspections. This action was prompted by the discovery of a loose bolt in the rudder control system of one of the planes. Rudders, located on the tail of the aircraft, are essential for altering the airplane’s yaw, or vertical axis rotation.