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After part of the cabin including the window was torn off during a flight in the US, the American aviation authority FAA has ordered a temporary flight ban for more than 170 Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft. The authority announced on Saturday that immediate inspections of certain aircraft of this model were necessary, which would take approximately four to eight hours per aircraft. Only then could the affected aircraft be put back into service. This applies to aircraft operated by US airlines or traveling within US territory – 171 aircraft worldwide.

The window incident took place on Friday on an American airline Alaska Airlines flight en route from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario Airport, located east of Los Angeles, California. According to media reports, shortly after takeoff, part of the window suddenly detached and flew away. There was a big bang and then air rushed in through the hole, passengers told The Oregonian newspaper. The seat directly next to the window was unoccupied, but a teenager in the middle seat suffered injuries from the sudden drop in pressure. There were therefore no reports of serious injuries.

Photos shared by passengers online show a large hole gaping in the flat wall to the side of the affected row of seats. The large hole was also seen in passenger videos published by the BBC. “That wasn’t even the emergency exit,” a woman said in the video. “It was just part of the plane.”

According to a statement from the airline, the plane returned to Portland Airport shortly after takeoff with 171 passengers and six crew members on board and landed safely. Company boss Ben Minicucci said: “My condolences go out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you have experienced.”

Shortly after the incident, the airline announced that it would initially ground all its Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft and subject the 65 planes to thorough maintenance and safety checks. Each aircraft is not returned to service until an inspection has been completed. On Saturday, the airline announced that a quarter of the affected aircraft had already undergone maintenance without any abnormalities being detected. According to the FAA order, planes from other airlines must now undergo stricter inspections before being allowed back in the air.

The incident is likely to alarm airlines and the manufacturer Boeing. The NTSB Accident Investigation Bureau is investigating the matter. In contrast to Friday’s favorable outcome, two emergencies in 2018 and 2019 ended catastrophically and led to the grounding of the 737 Max series. The two accidents resulted in a total of 346 deaths. The main cause is believed to be a faulty control program, which caused the machines to crash to the ground.

Boeing subsequently revised the type and gradually obtained recertifications. However, the medium-haul aircraft continued to make headlines with production errors and put pressure on manufacturer balance sheets.

Alaska Airlines has also expanded its fleet in recent years with an improved version of the 737-9 Max. In total, the airline has approximately 300 aircraft, mainly from Boeing. (sda/dpa)