Boeing is now facing renewed regulatory scrutiny following a mid-air blowout involving one of its Boeing 737 Max 9 jets.

According to Reuters, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, with 171 passengers on board, made an emergency landing Friday after a pressurization issue took out an unused emergency exit door, leaving a gaping hole on the side of the Boeing aircraft.

The incident, which happened minutes after taking off from Portland International Airport in Oregon, raised concerns about the safety of Boeing's new models of its best-selling MAX jet waiting for approval. 

(Photo : GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT/AFP via Getty Images)
A logo of US aircraft maker Boeing is displayed during the International Paris Air Show at the ParisLe Bourget Airport, on June 20, 2023.

Mid-Air Incident of a Boeing 737 Max 9 Jet 

Investigators launched an inquiry after the mid-air incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Sunday that 171 Boeing 737 Max planes would stay grounded until the agency is convinced they can safely operate.

Investigators noted that it is too early to determine the cause of the door plug detachment, as they are still probing the event's circumstances. 

The grounding of 171 Boeing MAX 9 planes further complicates the challenges faced by Boeing and its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, the manufacturer of the panel. 

The two companies are still grappling with production setbacks that have impeded recovery from an earlier lengthy 737 MAX safety grounding and broader disruption from the pandemic.

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Portfolio of Boeing MAX 

The blowout incident is particularly significant for Boeing as it strives to expand its MAX portfolio and close the gap with rival Airbus. The latter has gained market share, especially after the 2018 and 2019 crashes involving Boeing MAX jets, resulting in the global grounding of the MAX for 20 months. 

Boeing has been under pressure to regain trust and enhance the safety reputation of its MAX series. The challenges it faced with the MAX jets resulted in substantial regulatory changes within U.S. airplane regulation in 2020. 

According to Reuters, the recent Alaska Airlines incident might compel regulators to adopt a more stringent approach toward these issues. 

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