Alaska Airlines has externally recalled 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft: how long will the inspection last

Alaska Airlines has externally recalled 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft after an incident with a broken window. The carrier plans to check the entire fleet to ensure that this does not happen again.

Boeing assured that it is aware of the incident and is working with Alaska Airlines to investigate the causes of the sudden depressurization of the aircraft. According to Simple Flying, citing the airline's statement, it will take several days to check all 65 boards.

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci warned that the entire fleet of 737 MAX 9 aircraft will be temporarily suspended due to the fact that part of the fuselage has come off one of them.

"At Alaska Airlines, safety is our core value and the most important thing we focus on every day. Following today's incident on Flight 1282, we have decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily suspending our 65-aircraft Boeing 737-9 fleet. Each aircraft will be returned to service only after full maintenance and safety checks have been completed," the statement said.

As a reminder, a video was recently posted online showing how a part of the hull near the seat on board AS1282 was torn off, where, fortunately, no one was present. The flight was grounded with a hole in the cabin, but no one was seriously injured.

Part of the fuselage broke away from the left side of the plane shortly after it took off from Portland, Oregon, en route to Ontario, California. This forced the pilots to turn back and land safely with more than 170 passengers and six crew members on board.

The situation for the company and the manufacturer is complicated by the fact that the affected Boeing 737 MAX 9 was delivered to Alaska Airlines in late October and certified in early November, meaning that the aircraft was almost new.