8-1-2024 (JAKARTA) Indonesia temporarily grounded three Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft operated by Lion Air starting 6 January, the transport ministry announced Monday, despite differently configured emergency exit doors than the US jet which made an emergency landing last week.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing planes fitted with the same exit door panel that detached from a new Alaska Airlines jet post-takeoff from Portland on Friday. The panel loss forced pilots to divert and land safely in Ontario, California with all 171 passengers and 6 crew, although leaving a fuselage gap.
Indonesia’s grounded 737 Max 9s were the only three in the country, according to ministry spokesperson Adita Irawati. She clarified they utilized a “mid cabin emergency exit door type II,” unlike the “mid exit door plug” on Alaska’s plane.
“This means the system in the mid-section of emergency doors were functional and could be used for evacuation,” Adita explained. The ministry will coordinate with the FAA, Boeing and Lion Air to monitor developments, stressing “operational safety will be our priority.”
A Lion Air representative said the airline is performing further inspections of the grounded jets to ensure normal operation of the emergency exit mechanisms.
