Operation Lone Star Trump Immunity Claim “Monumental” Discovery Cold Cases CBS News Live Managing Your Money NewslettersNewsUSWORLDPOLITICSENTERTAINMENTHEALTHWATCHMONEYWATCHCBS VILLAGETECHNOLOGYSCIENCECRIMESPORTSESSENTIALSShowsCBS MORNINGSCBS EVENING NEWS60 MINUTESCBS SATURDAY MORNINGFACE THE NATIONSUNDAY MORNING48 HOURSCBS REPORTSCBS NEWS MORNINGSAMERICA DECIDESPRIME TIME WITH JOHN DICKERSONCBS NEWS WEEKENDERTHE TAKEOUTTHE UPLIFTEYE ON AMERICATHE DISHHERE COMES THE SUNPERSON TO PERSONLiveCBS NEWS LIVECBS NEWS BALTIMORECBS NEWS BAY AREACBS NEWS BOSTONCBS NEWS CHICAGOCBS NEWS COLORADOCBS NEWS DETROITCBS NEWS LOS ANGELESCBS NEWS MIAMICBS NEWS MINNESOTACBS NEWS NEW YORKCBS NEWS PHILADELPHIACBS NEWS PITTSBURGHCBS NEWS SACRAMENTOCBS NEWS TEXASCBS SPORTS HQINSIDE EDITION 24/7MIXIBLELocalBALTIMOREBAY AREABOSTONCHICAGOCOLORADODETROITLOS ANGELESMIAMIMINNESOTANEW YORKPHILADELPHIAPITTSBURGHSACRAMENTOTEXASMoreLATESTVIDEOPHOTOSPODCASTSIN DEPTHLOCALA MOMENT WITH…INNOVATORS & DISRUPTORSNEWSLETTERSMOBILERSSCBS STOREPARAMOUNT+JOIN OUR TALENT COMMUNITYDAVOS 2023Watch CBS NewsMONEYWATCH Here’s what to know about the Boeing 737 Max 9, the jet that suffered an inflight blowoutBy Aimee PicchiEdited By Anne Marie LeeUpdated on: January 8, 2024 / 10:07 PM EST / CBS News
The inflight blowout on an Alaska Airlines’ plane on Friday night is prompting scrutiny of the aircraft involved, the Boeing 737 Max 9. The incident comes after other safety issues have been linked to Boeing’s Max line of aircraft, heightening concerns about the jet’s safety. Here’s what we know so far.
What is the Boeing 737 Max 9?
The Boeing 737 Max 9 is part of the aircraft manufacturer’s Max line of jets, introduced with the 737 Max 8 jets, which first took to the air in 2016, according to Airways Magazine. The Max line is designed to be more fuel efficient than earlier 737s, making them more economical for airlines to operate. The Max 9 jets, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2018, can seat up to 220 passengers and have a range of 3,300 miles, according to Boeing.
Which U.S. airlines fly the Boeing 737 Max 9?
Currently, there are only two airlines in the U.S. that fly the Boeing 737 Max 9: Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. United is the biggest operator of Max 9s in the world. The two airlines together operate about two-thirds of the 215 Max 9 aircraft in service around the world, according to to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Both Alaska and United have grounded their Max 9s as the Alaska accident is investigated, leading to hundreds of flight cancellations as of Monday afternoon.
What is the safety history of Boeing 737 Max jets?
The Boeing 737 Max line has a troubled history, with two fatal crashes of the Max 8 model within five months of each other, in 2018 and 2019. The first crash, in October 2018, involved a 737 Max 8 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air that killed 189. The second crash, in March 2019, involved an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 that killed 157. These crashes led to the worldwide grounding of the Max 8 and Max 9 models for nearly two years, until the FAA and other regulators cleared the planes to fly again in late 2020.
