In response to an incident where a sealed-over door panel opened and detached mid-flight, Turkish Airlines has announced the temporary grounding of five Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets in its fleet for thorough inspections. The emergency landing prompted by a similar occurrence on an Alaska Airlines flight over Oregon on Friday has led the US Federal Aviation Administration to mandate immediate inspections of approximately 171 of these jets globally.
The safety measure taken by Turkish Airlines underscores the seriousness of the situation, with the opened door panel causing a sudden loss of cabin pressure during the flight. The airline is committed to ensuring the safety of its passengers and will conduct comprehensive inspections and necessary maintenance on the affected aircraft to address any potential issues before they resume operations.
“In response to the recent incident involving the Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines, Turkish Airlines has proactively initiated the recall of five Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in its fleet for comprehensive safety checks,” the airline stated in an official announcement.
The grounded aircraft will undergo inspections at their respective landing locations as a precautionary security measure, ensuring that any potential issues are identified and addressed promptly.
Following suit, Alaska and United Airlines, boasting the world’s largest fleet of 737 MAX 9s, have also grounded their planes for inspections, resulting in numerous flight cancellations. Additionally, Aeromexico and Copa Airlines from Panama have confirmed the grounding of affected planes in compliance with the FAA order. Icelandair, however, clarified that none of its 737 MAX 9s fall under the specified configuration outlined in the FAA grounding directive.