Airlines are planning to resume use of their Boeing flights in the coming days after the fleets were grounded, according to the New York Times.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday that it would not allow the “production expansion of the MAX, including the 737-9 MAX” unless “the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved.” United Airlines is planning to start using its 79 Max 9 planes on Sunday, and Alaska Airlines plans to put a “few planes” back into service on Friday, adding more planes over time, according to the NYT. (RELATED: United Airlines CEO Says They Are Making Plans Without Boeing After Manufacturing Issues)
“We grounded the Boeing 737-9 MAX within hours of the incident over Portland and made clear this aircraft would not go back into service until it was safe,” Mike Whitaker, FAA administrator, said in the press release. “The exhaustive, enhanced review our team completed after several weeks of information gathering gives me and the FAA confidence to proceed to the inspection and maintenance phase.”
PORTLAND, OREGON – JANUARY 8: A plastic sheet covers an area of the fuselage of the Alaska Airlines N704AL Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft outside a hangar at Portland International Airport on January 8, 2024, in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images)
The FAA began the investigation on Jan. 10 after United Airlines found loose bolts near or around the plug doors on five of its Boeing aircraft and after an emergency door plug ripped off the side of an Alaska Airlines Boeing plane mid-flight. In order to comply with the FAA’s new inspection rules, Boeing must go over “specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings,” conduct “detailed visual inspections of left and right mid-cabin exit door plugs and dozens of associated components, “retorquing fasteners” and correct “any damage or abnormal conditions,” according to the announcement.
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Tuesday that his airline was making plans to avoid using Boeing’s MAX 10 in the future.
“I think the Max 9 grounding is probably the straw that broke the camel’s back for us,” Kirby told CNBC News. “We’re going to at least build a plan that doesn’t have the Max 10 in it.”
Boeing did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.