NEW YORK: US regulators approved a detailed inspection framework that would allow the return to service of Boeing 737 MAX planes grounded after an emergency landing earlier this month, officials said Wednesday.
Shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration announced inspection protocols on the Boeing 737 MAX 9, United Airlines said it expects grounded aircraft to return to service starting Sunday.
“We will only return each MAX 9 aircraft to service once this thorough inspection process is complete,” said a statement from Toby Enqvist, United’s chief operations officer.
“We are preparing aircraft to return to scheduled service beginning on Sunday.”
The FAA announcement is a major step after the agency grounded 171 MAX 9 planes following the January 5 incident on an Alaska Airlines plane.
The grounded 737 MAX jets have the same configuration as the Alaska Airlines jet that suffered a blowout of a panel on the fuselage, exposing passengers to open air and necessitating an emergency landing.
No one was injured in the incident, but safety inspectors have said it could have been catastrophic.
Newspakistan.tv/APP/AFP
