New Delhi: It came as a massive wake-up call when an exit door and an unoccupied seat blew out mid-air, forcing an Alaska Airlines flight, with 174 passengers and six crew members, to make an emergency landing.
The mishap-hit Alaska Airlines aircraft was a Boeing 737-9. And though no Indian air operator has the same aircraft as part of its fleet, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) directed all airlines to immediately carry out a one-time inspection of emergency exits on the Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft which are currently part of their fleet.
Boeing hasn’t issued any advisory after the Alaska Airlines incident. However, the aerospace company said it was aware of the incident and its technical team was ready to support the investigation.
Alarmingly, the plane whose exit door and seat blew out was a brand new aircraft which had rolled off the assembly line and received certification in November 2023.
Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its entire Boeing 737-9 fleet.
