In the wake of a recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines aircraft, Lion Air, an Indonesian airline, has resumed operations with its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. Lion Air had grounded its Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft due to safety concerns. However, following mandatory inspections, the airline expressed confidence that the flaw that caused the Alaska Airlines incident was not present in its aircraft. Consequently, the three aircraft have been cleared to fly and will return to line operations immediately.
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The incident with the Alaska Airlines aircraft occurred on January 5th, when a piece of fuselage tore off the left side of the plane as it climbed following take-off from Portland, Oregon. This forced the plane into an emergency landing, and although all 174 passengers and six crew members survived, several passengers were injured.
The Lion Air Boeing 737-9 Max aircraft utilizes a different door configuration from the Alaska Airlines aircraft involved in the incident. The Indonesian Transportation Ministry’s Civil Aviation Directorate General (DGCA) conducted on-site inspections at Lion Air and found no problems with the three aircraft it owned.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has yet to clear the model. Over 40 aircraft have been inspected, and the FAA is reviewing the data to determine if the aircraft is safe to return to the skies. This incident underscores the importance of stringent safety measures and quality control in aviation. As investigations continue, the international community awaits further details and hopes for improved safety measures in the future.
