CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) announced the resumption of passenger flights on its Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets on Saturday, following approval from U.S. regulators after a mid-air cabin incident on an Alaska Airlines (AS) flight earlier this month.
The first MAX 9 flight with passengers since January 6 took off from Newark, heading to Las Vegas around 10:30 a.m. ET (1530 GMT), carrying 175 passengers and six crew members. United, headquartered in Chicago, anticipates several passenger flights on MAX 9s to operate on Saturday.
United 737 MAX Flights
The cabin panel blowout on an eight-week-old MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines on January 5 prompted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets. This led to the cancellation of numerous flights by both Alaska Airlines and United.
On Wednesday, the FAA lifted the grounding order after approving new inspection and maintenance checks. Additionally, Boeing was restricted from expanding 737 MAX production or introducing new production lines pending quality improvements.
The enhanced maintenance process for the 737 MAX 9 involves inspecting specific bolts, guide tracks, and fittings, along with conducting detailed visual examinations of mid-cabin exit door plugs and numerous related components.
Return to Service
Alaska Airlines resumed MAX 9 service on Friday, and the Chief Operating Officer, Constance von Muehlen, was reportedly on the first MAX 9 flight, seated next to the window in the same row where the blowout had occurred on the previous flight.
The airline expects to complete inspections on its MAX 9 fleet by the end of next week, allowing it to resume its full flight schedule. The grounding had impacted approximately 20% of its fleet.
Boeing Commercial Airlines President Stan Deal informed employees late Friday that the company has diligently developed inspection criteria to facilitate the return of aircraft to service.
Boeing is currently assessing “hundreds” of ideas submitted by employees for potential quality improvements.
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