The FAA Wants Boeing to Check Another Model of Plane

While the Boeing 737-9 MAX airplanes continue to be grounded, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sunday recommended that Boeing add another model of plane to its inspection list.

The FAA on Sunday said that operators of Boeing 737-900ER aircraft should “visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure the door is properly secured.” That model of aircraft is not part of Boeing’s signature MAX fleet but has the same door plug design that caused issues on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Jan. 5.

There is not the same kind of concern for the Boeing 737-900ER as there is for the Boeing 737 MAX 9—the FAA said that, while it is recommending inspections, the 737-900ER has over 11 million hours of operation from carriers such as Alaska, Delta Air Lines, and United, and has not had any reports of a door plug issue.

Still, the FAA wants airlines to inspect the mid-door plug and some have already started the process—Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines both said over the weekend that they had proactively inspected their 737-900ER fleet and neither expects any impact on their schedule.

Alaska also said this weekend that it had completed the preliminary inspections of its fleet of 737-MAX 9 aircraft and provided the data to Boeing, which will share it with the FAA. Cancellations in the Alaska fleet, which includes 65 737 MAX 9 aircraft continue as it awaits word from the FAA.

“We’re awaiting the next steps based on this collection of new information, including the final inspection orders so we can begin safely returning our planes to service,” Alaska said on Sunday.

“The ongoing grounding of the 737-9 MAX continues to impact our operations with all 737-9 MAX paused. This remains a dynamic situation and we greatly appreciate the patience of our guests. We are notifying those whose flights are canceled and working to re-accommodate them. We also have a Flexible Travel Policy in effect,” it said.