The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ordered the temporary grounding and inspections of some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, a day after a fuselage section on a brand-new Alaska Airlines jet blew out shortly after takeoff, leaving a gaping hole.
The move affects about 171 planes worldwide, according to a statement by the FAA. Alaska, the world’s second-biggest operator of the type, had already grounded its Max 9 fleet in the wake of Friday’s incident after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. United Airlines, the model’s top operator, also took some of the jets out of service for inspections. Neither of Japan's two largest airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, operate the model.
"Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the NTSB’s investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a post on X.