Lion Air i.e, Indonesia’s budget airline, has resumed flying three Boeing 737 Max 9 planes that were temporarily grounded earlier this momth.

Jakarta: In a major development, Indonesia’s budget airline, Lion Air, has resumed flying three Boeing 737 Max 9 planes that were temporarily grounded following the Alaska Airlines incident earlier this month. Indonsia’s Transportation Ministry spokesperson, Adita Irawati, has said that following the inspection of the flights, it has been found that the three Boeing 737 Max 9 planes that operate under Lion Air had different configurations with Alaska Airlines’ Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft that suffered the in-flight blowout and the aircraft can be used for flying, as per a report by news agency IANS.

“The door system is apparently different from Alaska Airlines’s. We have inspected it and communicated with Lion Air and Boeing. They are allowed to fly again,” said the spokesperson.

This latest development comes as Boeing is facing a number of issues with its aircraft. On January 5, the Alaska Airlines jet had a door plug blow out shortly after takeoff when the plane was at 16,000 feet, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the jet.

Dislodging Of Mid-Cabin Door Plugs of Aircraft

The mid-cabin door plugs of the aircraft became dislodged following an abrupt depressurization shortly after departure on January 5. As a result, a piece of the fuselage was expelled at an altitude of 16,000 feet. The plane, bound for Ontario, California, executed an emergency landing in Portland just 20 minutes after takeoff.

Two airlines that operate Boeing 737 Max 9s in the US—Alaska Airlines and United Airlines—later found either loose hardware or bolts in the assembly of door plugs on their aircraft. The Boeing 737 Max has been described as “the most scrutinised transport aircraft in history” after a series of safety issues.

In late 2018 and early 2019, two of its aircraft were lost in near-identical incidents off the coast of Indonesia and outside the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. A total of 346 people were killed in both crashes, which were caused by flawed flight control software, which ultimately forced the planes into catastrophic dives despite the best efforts of the pilots.

Airbus A350 and Boeing 777X Steal Show At Wings India 2024

Boeing 777X and Airbus A350-900 were the centers of attraction at Wings India 2024, Asia’s largest event on civil aviation, which began at Begumpet Airport here on Thursday. Around 25 aircraft are on display at the four-day aviation conclave and exhibition.

Boeing’s newest widebody aircraft is on display for the first time in India and similarly, the Airbus A350 is also being showcased for the first time. Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia unveiled Air India’s first Airbus A350. Air India has ordered 20 Airbus A350-900 and this is the first aircraft to be delivered. Five more aircraft are scheduled for deliveries through March 2024.

It is set to enter commercial service on January 22, initially operating domestically to and from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai. It will be subsequently deployed on international routes. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is also showcasing its indigenous civil platforms, Hindustan-228 aircraft and ALH Dhruv upgraded civil helicopters.

The four-day biennial event, which focuses on commercial, general and business aviation, was being organised jointly by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Indian Industry (FICCI).

(With inputs from agencies)