The FAA has “urged” the review to be extended to the Boeing 737-900ER, which is an older model but has a similar door design.
United Airlines warned it expected to post a loss in the first quarter of 2024 due to the grounding of its Boeing 737 Max 9 planes, though it beat analysts’ expectations for the fourth quarter.
The US airline’s decision to ground its fleet of 737 Max 9 comes amid intense scrutiny by manufacturer Boeing over the recent crash of an Alaska Airlines plane in which a panel separated mid-flight and left a hole in the fuselage. This happened, forcing an emergency landing.
Copa suspends 80 daily flights due to problems with Boeing
Although there were no victims or serious injuries in that January 5 episode, regulators in the United States grounded 171 aircraft from the 737 MAX 9 fleet, whose configuration was similar to the aircraft involved in the incident.
On Monday, United said it expected a loss of between 35 cents and 85 cents per share in the first three months of 2024, citing the potential financial impact of the decision to park its planes at that benchmark.
In the final quarter of 2023, the US airline reported a profit of $600 million on operating income of $13.6 billion, down about 29% from the same period last year.
However, United reported an annual profit of $2.6 billion, a big increase from 2022, when it made $737 million.
Flights are being canceled in ES due to problems with Boeing models in America
FAA demands more oversight
The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recommended that airlines inspect the doors of their Boeing 737-900ER aircraft following incidents involving a very similar design in the US company’s 737 Max 9 model.
“Companies are encouraged to perform visual inspections” to ensure that assembled doors are defect-free, the FAA said in a statement released Monday.
The Boeing 737-900ER is an older model from the MAX series, but there are similarities in door design, according to the FAA.
Boeing had no immediate comment when contacted by AFP.
The FAA’s announcement comes after an incident on January 5 during an Alaska Airlines flight, during which a blind door fell from a Boeing 737 Max 9 that was flying from Portland (Oregon) to Ontario (California, West).
US starts investigation of Boeing after Alaska Airlines incident
Since then, the FAA ordered that 171 of the 218 Max 9 aircraft in circulation be grounded until their inspections were completed.
The agency highlighted that these aircraft will fly again only when there is no doubt about their safety.
Boeing offers its customers to close some doors on the MAX 9 when the number of existing emergency exits is already sufficient in relation to the number of seats on the aircraft.
in Central America, Copa Airlines It is one of the airlines that has suffered the most from the Boeing 737 MAX9 crisis, which has led to the suspension of 80 daily flights.