Factbox: What airlines, regulators are doing about Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets
11/01/2024 20:47
(Adds latest from Panama)
Jan 11 (Reuters) -
Boeing's BA.N top-selling 737 MAX aircraft is being
investigated following an incident on Friday when a panel blew
off an Alaska Airlines ALK.N plane, forcing pilots to make an
emergency landing.
U.S. regulators ordered a temporary grounding of 171 Boeing
737 MAX 9 jets installed with the same panel, while
investigations and safety checks take place.
There are about 215 737 MAX 9 jets in service globally in
total, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Carriers offering denser seating configurations have an exit
door at that position instead of the panel and are not affected
by the grounding order.
In Boeing's first public acknowledgment of errors since the
incident, CEO Dave Calhoun on Tuesday said an accident like the
panel blowout "can never happen again". In a separate meeting,
Boeing told staff this was being treated as a "quality control
issue" and checks were under way at Boeing and fuselage supplier
Spirit Aerosystems SPR.N .
Here's what regulators and airlines are doing as a result of
the latest incident:
AIRLINES WITH THE AFFECTED PANEL:
ALASKA AIRLINES
The airline grounded all 65 of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes.
It said on Monday that initial reports from its technicians
indicated some "loose hardware" was visible on some aircraft in
the relevant area.
Alaska Airlines has cancelled hundreds of flights since the
incident. On Wednesday, it said it would cancel Boeing 737 MAX 9
flights through Jan. 13.
UNITED AIRLINES UAL.O
The only other U.S. airline operating the jets has suspended
service on all 79 of its 737 MAX 9 aircraft.
The carrier said on Monday its preliminary checks found
bolts that needed tightening on several panels. It was awaiting
final approval for full inspection processes of the grounded
aircraft.
United cancelled 225 flights, or 8% of its total schedule,
on Tuesday. On Wednesday, 167 MAX 9 flights were cancelled, with
the airline expecting "significant" cancellations on Thursday as
well.
COPA AIRLINES
The Panamanian carrier said on Tuesday that 21 Boeing 737
MAX 9 planes remained grounded while authorities and the
manufacturer defined the inspection instructions necessary for
their safe and reliable evaluation and return to operation.
AEROMEXICO
The airline said on Sunday it had grounded 19 affected 737
MAX 9 jets for inspection.
TURKISH AIRLINES
The airline said on Sunday it had withdrawn five 737 MAX 9
aircraft from service for inspection.
AIRLINES THAT LACK THE AFFECTED PANEL:
ICELANDAIR
Icelandair said on Monday its aircraft were not affected by
the FAA grounding. "It has been confirmed that the issue is
related to equipment that is not a part of Icelandair's Boeing
737 MAX 9 configuration," said a spokesperson for the airline,
which operates four of the aircraft.
FLYDUBAI
The airline said on Sunday its three Boeing 737 MAX 9
planes, which use a deactivated mid-aft exit door configuration,
were not affected.
CORENDON DUTCH AIRLINES
Corendon Dutch said on Monday it has two 737 MAX 9, but the
airline uses the extra door, so inspections are not needed.
AIR TANZANIA
Air Tanzania has one 737 MAX 9, but its CEO said on Sunday
that Boeing told the airline its aircraft was not of the type
that needed inspection.
REGULATORS:
U.S. FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)
The FAA issued a directive on Saturday temporarily grounding
certain 737 MAX 9 planes.
The FAA said on Tuesday that Boeing was revising its
instructions for inspections and maintenance, which the
regulator must still approve before checks can begin.
The FAA said it "will conduct a thorough review" and public
safety will determine the timeline for returning the MAX to
service.
U.S. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD (NTSB)
The independent U.S. agency has opened an investigation into
the Alaska Airlines incident, and it appointed International
Associations of Machinists and Aerospace workers (IAM) to the
investigation on Thursday.
The NTSB said the plane's cockpit voice recorder was
overwritten, renewing long-standing calls for longer in-flight
recordings.
BRAZIL
Brazil's aviation regulator ANAC said on Sunday the FAA
ruling automatically applies to all flights in Brazil.
In Brazil, only Copa Airlines operates the plane, it said.
BRITAIN
The UK Civil Aviation Authority said on Saturday there are
no UK-registered planes affected. It will require any 737 MAX 9
operators entering its airspace to comply with the FAA
directive.
CHINA
China's regulator has sought details on the incident, a
person familiar with the matter said on Saturday. Bloomberg
reported that China, the first country to ground MAX flights in
2019, was considering whether to take action.
Chinese airlines have not yet resumed delivery of any MAX
models and analysts said the Alaska Airlines incident could
cause further delays.
EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) adopted the
FAA directive, but noted no EU member state airlines operate
aircraft with the affected configuration.
INDIA
India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on
Monday that one-time inspections it had ordered of Boeing 737
MAX 8 aircraft had been performed satisfactorily. None of the
country's airlines fly the 737 MAX 9 model.
INDONESIA
Indonesia temporarily grounded three 737 MAX 9 planes
operated by Lion Air on Saturday, a transport ministry
spokesperson said, adding that the planes had different
configurations from the Alaska Airlines plane.
The ministry will coordinate with the FAA, Boeing and Lion
Air to monitor the situation, adding that "operational safety
will be our priority".
PANAMA
Panama's civil aviation authority
said on Thursday
it had temporarily grounded 21 of Copa Airlines' Boeing 737
MAX 9 planes. The carrier has 29 in its fleet, but only 21 have
the affected panel, the authority said.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea's transport ministry said on Thursday it will
conduct inspections of maintenance procedures of the country's
airlines operating 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
The ministry said five South Korean airlines operate 14 MAX
8 aircrafts. This comes after the ministry said no problems had
been detected after inspections last Tuesday.
TURKEY
Turkey's Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Monday
noted the FAA's actions and said it was coordinating with
stakeholders regarding affected aircraft belonging to airlines
in Turkey and those using Turkish airspace.
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
The civil aviation said on Sunday that none of its national
carriers have planes affected by the order.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
United, Alaska find loose parts on 737 MAX planes, raising
pressure on Boeing urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N3DY0QG
TIMELINE-Boeing's ongoing 737 MAX crisis urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N3DW0J7
EXPLAINER-What is the panel that blew off a Boeing plane in
midair? urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N3DX0CI
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; compiled by Josephine Mason,
Luca Fratangelo, Marleen Käsebier, Lisa Barrington and Kylie
Madry; Editing by Jason Neely, Louise Heavens, Jamie Freed,
Milla Nissi)
((Josephine.Mason@thomsonreuters.com; +44 207 542 7695; Reuters
Messaging: josephine.mason.reuters.com@reuters.net))