Indonesia temporarily halts operations of 3 comparable planes owned by budget airline Lion Air

(MENAFN) In response to a recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 Max jetliner that experienced a blowout, resulting in a significant rupture in its fuselage, Indonesia has taken precautionary measures by temporarily grounding three similar aircraft belonging to the budget carrier Lion Air. This decision was not made in isolation but was a collaborative effort between Indonesia's Transportation Ministry and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The primary objective behind this action is to prioritize the safety and security of flight operations, ensuring that potential risks are promptly identified and addressed.

The emergency landing of the Alaska Airlines jet on Friday acted as a catalyst for heightened scrutiny, leading U.S. federal authorities, specifically the FAA, to ground specific Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft. Specifically, this measure impacted all Max 9s that were operated by both Alaska and United Airlines, along with a selection of those operated by international carriers, as they required immediate inspections. The focus of these inspections revolved around examining the plugs utilized to seal designated areas reserved for additional emergency doors, which are not deemed essential for the configurations of United and Alaska's Max 9s.

Delving deeper into the specifics, it's worth noting that the Lion Air planes that have been grounded employ a distinct mid-cabin emergency exit door. This door design differs significantly from the one featured on the Alaska Airlines jetliner that was at the center of the recent incident. Providing further clarity on this matter, Adita Irawati, the spokesperson for Indonesia's Transportation Ministry, highlighted these differences in door configurations. Meanwhile, Lion Air's spokesperson, Danang Mandala Prihantoro, emphasized the airline's proactive stance in ensuring passenger safety. He confirmed that the airline has initiated preventive measures by grounding the specified planes and is currently conducting thorough inspections, with a particular emphasis on the mid-cabin emergency exit door. This move echoes a similar precautionary action taken by Indonesia in 2019 when they temporarily grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 jets to assess their airworthiness following a tragic crash involving a Lion Air aircraft of the same model in October 2018, which resulted in the loss of all 189 individuals on board.

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