EU Adopts “Emergency Airworthiness Directive” After FAA Grounds Boeing 737-9 Max Jets Over Blowout

Shortly after the US Federal Aviation Administration issued an emergency order to ground 171 Boeing 737-9 (MAX) jets used by major airlines due to an incident where an emergency door separated from an Alaska Airlines Max jet over Portland on Friday evening, European aviation authorities have adopted the FAA’s directive.

EASA wrote in a statement that “specific configuration” of the 737-9 MAX aircraft will be grounded for immediate inspection following “an event on an Alaska Airlines flight, where an exit panel detached from the aircraft inflight, leading to rapid decompression of the cabin.” 

“EASA took the decision to adopt the FAA Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) despite the fact that, to the Agency’s knowledge and also on the basis of statements from the FAA and Boeing,” the regulator said. 

However, the EU regulator noted, “No airline in an EASA Member State currently operates an aircraft in the relevant configuration.” 

Safety precautions in the EU for the troubled 737 MAX come as the FAA grounded 171 737-9 Max jets on Saturday after a mid-cabin exit door on an Alaska Airlines flight separated from the plane mid-flight over Portland.  

BREAKING: Alaska Airlines plane makes emergency landing in Portland, Oregon after window blows out in mid-air.

Several items, including phones, were sucked out of the plane when it suddenly depressurized. Everyone is safe. pic.twitter.com/BtOB1RU3tn

— BNO News (@BNONews) January 6, 2024

Here’s a list of the latest actions by airlines in the US and worldwide that operate these troubled jets (list courtesy of Bloomberg): 

• Alaska Air Group Inc., the airline at the center of the turmoil, initially grounded all 65 of its 737-9 Max jets hours after the accident. It later allowed 18 of the planes to resume flying after receiving detailed maintenance inspections pre- dating the event. However, it subsequently pulled all jets from service again.
• United Airlines Holding Inc., the biggest operator of the affected Max type, says all 79 of its jets are temporarily grounded. The next step is for the airline to determine with the FAA the inspection process and requirements to return the planes to service. It earlier said 33 of the jets had met necessary inspections before grounding all planes.
• Panama’s Copa Airlines SA said it grounded 21 of its impacted jets. The carrier has a total of 29 in its fleet, but operates them in two different configurations. – Aeromexico has followed United and Alaska Air in pulling all 19 of its 737-9 Max jets from service for inspections.
• Icelandair said its small fleet of 737-9 Max jets are not affected by FAA inspections. The carrier has been in contact with Boeing and the FAA.
• Turkish Airlines said its country’s civil aviation authority asked it to examine its small fleet of five 737-9 Max planes. Until the technical review is complete, the carrier has withdrawn the jets from service.
• FlyDubai said its three 737-9 Max jets are unaffected by the FAA directive, the company told Bloomberg News.

One X user wrote:

The Boeing 737 Max hull failure is bad This was a brand-new aircraft. ~150 revenue flights. Probably no more than 250 pressurization cycles on it total (if that) While failures of this sort are not unknown, they tend not to occur on a new airframe. Which suggests that a production issue is at fault…

The Boeing 737 Max hull failure is bad

This was a brand-new aircraft. ~150 revenue flights. Probably no more than 250 pressurization cycles on it total (if that)

While failures of this sort are not unknown, they tend not to occur on a new airframe. Which suggests that a…

— The Mind Scourge (@TheMindScourge) January 6, 2024

Remember this… 

As a reminder, the 737 Max was “designed by clowns who in turn are supervised by monkeys”.https://t.co/Z5rt2LoI3e

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 6, 2024

We suspect Boeing shares might be red come Monday morning.