US authorities impose indefinite flight ban on Boeing 737 Max 9 Opposition in France jokes about new ‘Sarkozy government’

The US Federal Aviation Administration has extended the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft indefinitely. The continued flight ban on 171 aircraft serves “the safety of American travelers,” the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday (local time). 40 of the planes need to be re-inspected.

The authority will then examine the results and decide whether safety is sufficient to allow the Max 9 to fly again. The authority said on Monday that the flight ban would be lifted once the planes were inspected. “We are increasingly focusing on the manufacturing process,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Reuters on Friday.

Hundreds of flights cancelled

The regulator will investigate the production line and suppliers of the Boeing 737 Max 9 under increased supervision. They then want to consider having an independent body take over certain aspects of the safety certification of new aircraft that the FAA previously awarded to the aircraft manufacturer.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two US airlines that use the affected aircraft, had to cancel hundreds of flights last week due to the grounding. On Friday, both airlines canceled all Max 9 flights through Tuesday, and United canceled several more flights in the following days.

After a dramatic incident in which a cabin part of a Boeing 737 Max 9 broke away at an altitude of almost 4,900 meters, the American aviation authority last week provisionally stopped 171 aircraft of this type.

The part broke off after takeoff from an Alaska Airlines plane that was just eight weeks old and carrying 177 people, leaving a hole the size of a door near the rows of seats. However, the pilots were able to turn the machine around and make an emergency landing. There were only a few minor injuries.

(t-online/Reuters)