Flights cancelled as Boeing jets grounded after blow-out - all you need to know
US regulators today ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircrafts following a horrific blowout of one of the plane's windows while it was in mid-air.
The Federal Aviation Administration said every Max 9 aircraft at Alaska Airlines will be thoroughly inspected before being approved for flight. This resulted in the cancellations of more than 100 flights Saturday.
Authorities said about one-fourth of the Boeing aircrafts have been inspected as of Saturday afternoon, reporting no signs of disrepair. Footage taken inside the plane during the incident shows a massive gaping hole in the plane. The rear cabin is in dead silence as passengers held oxygen masks to their face while fearing the worst.
READ MORE: Alaska Airlines plane window explodes mid-air with child's shirt ripped off and phones sucked out
Several passengers told media outlets they thought death was imminent (UKNIP)
Emma Vu shared her experience in a video on TikTok (UKNIP)The Max 9 serves as Alaska's best-selling aircraft, but Boeing airplanes have a history of horrific incidents--a Max 8 crashed in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019.
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Terrifying window blow out
About 20 minutes into the flight, a large chunk of the aircraft blew off, leaving a massive gaping hole on the side of the plane where a window once was. Footage shows passengers, and pilots, sitting in eerie silence as they quietly scrambled to contact loved ones. A young boy's shirt was ripped off of him and sucked through the hole as the plane landed due to air pressure.
The hole blown out of the plane (FOX 12)What has FAA ordered?
Authorities have ordered 171 Boeing 737-9 Max aeroplanes to be grounded tonight - and each inspection takes 4 hours per plane. The grounding order was issued when dozens of the Boeing 7373 Max-9 aircrafts would have been in the skies.
The FAA said it will order the temporary grounding of select Boeing 737 max 9 aircrafts used by US airlines or US territory after the mid-air terror. The required inspections will take around four to eight hours per aircraft and will affect about 171 airplanes worldwide. CEO Ben Minicucci said Alaska expects the inspections to be completed "in the next few days."
There was no passenger seated directly next to the hole (UKNIP)"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 NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”
The FAA said in a statement: "The FAA ordered the temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory. The Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) requires operators to inspect affected aircraft before further flight. The required inspections will take around four to eight hours per aircraft. The EAD will affect approximately 171 airplanes worldwide."
Air bags deployed on the planeHow long will it take?
The required inspections will take around four to eight hours per aircraft and will affect about 171 planes worldwide.
Hours after the terrifying incident, Alaska Airlines announced that it would ground its entire fleet of 65 Max 9s for inspections and maintenance. CEO Ben Minicucci said Alaska expects the inspections to be completed "in the next few days."
Alaska said today that it had completed inspecting more than one-fourth of its Max 9 fleet "with no concerning findings. Aircraft will return to service as their inspections are completed with our full confidence."
Emma Vu recorded the ordeal on her phone and posted it to TikTok (e.mmavu/instagram)It is likely flight cancellations will carry on into Sunday and early next week as airlines complete the lengthy inspections.
What flights are cancelled?
Alaska Airlines canceled more than 100 flights around the United States today after taking its own decision to temporarily ground its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9s.
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The Max 9 accounts for more than one-fourth of Alaska's fleet and its passengers. On Saturday, Alaska canceled more than 100 flights, or 15% of its schedule, by late morning on the West Coast, according to FlightAware.
United Airlines has about 80 Max 9 jets, according to aviation data provider Cirium.
The Airline has today announced that they expect up to 60 flights to be cancelled on Saturday, due to the FAAs temporary grounding order.
In a statement, it said: “Safety is always our top priority. Following the incident on an Alaska Airlines flight on Friday, we have temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct an inspection required by the FAA. We are working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel options. Please check united.com or the United app for the latest on your flight status and to access travel assistance resources."
United Airlines said it had inspected 33 of its 79 Max 9s, and pulling the planes from service had caused about 60 canceled flights.
Alaska said on Saturday that the affected areas on 18 of its Max 9s were inspected during recent, intense maintenance work and were cleared to return to carrying passengers.
How to find out if flights will be cancelled
United Airlines instructs passengers to check united.com or the United app for the latest on your flight status.
You can check your flight status here at https://www.united.com/en/us/flightstatus
Alaska Airlines has responded to customer queries on Twitter by telling them to watch their flight status on their website, on this link.
Alaska Airlines added, in statements on its website: "As of this morning, inspections on more than a quarter of our 737-9 fleet are complete with no concerning findings. Aircraft will return to service as their inspections are completed with our full confidence.
"We deeply apologise to our guests whose flights have been impacted. Guests whose travel has been impacted can go online to view flight options and rebook travel, place the value of their ticket in their Mileage Plan Wallet for future use, or request a refund.
"For Pacific Northwest Travelers: We’ve been receiving many questions from guests traveling to Texas. Flights on Saturday and Sunday from Seattle to Houston are not impacted. Return flights next week are also not affected."
They added later: "Early this morning, our maintenance team began a detailed inspection process in connection with our decision to temporarily ground our fleet of Boeing 737-9 aircraft. Of the 65 737-9 aircraft in our fleet, it was determined that 18 had in-depth and thorough plug door inspections performed as part of a recent heavy maintenance visit. These 18 aircraft were cleared to return to service today.
"The inspection process of the remaining 737-9 aircraft is expected to be completed in the next few days. We will provide additional updates on the progress of our inspections.
"For Impacted Travelers: A flexible travel policy is in place systemwide. You may change or cancel your flight. If your flight has been canceled, please follow these rebooking instructions. "
What about the UK?
The United Kingdom's aviation and aerospace regulator has issued a statement following the FAA's announcement.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said tonight: "Following @FAANews' EAD, we can confirm there are no UK-registered 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The impact on UK operated aircraft and consumers is minimal.
"We have written to non-UK and foreign permit carriers to ask inspections have been undertaken prior to operation in UK airspace."
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