FAA says 94% of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes inspected, back in service

The US FAA on Monday said two US airlines have inspected and returned to service nearly 94% of Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes following a mid-air emergency last month. The FAA lifted its grounding of MAX 9 airplanes on Jan. 24 after it halted flights following the cabin panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines (ALK.N), opens new tab jet on Jan. 5. The FAA said 78 of 79 United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab MAX 9 planes have been inspected and returned to service and 57 of 65 Alaska MAX 9 planes. Alaska said inspections on all but the plane involved in the emergency will be complete by Tuesday. The FAA required inspections include close review of specific bolts, guide tracks and fittings and detailed visual inspections of door plugs and dozens of associated components. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the bolts were missing on the plane that suffered the cabin panel blowout. The grounding forced the airlines to cancel thousands of flights in January. Deputy FAA Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety Jodi Baker told reporters Monday the FAA was reimagining its oversight of Boeing. At Boeing's Renton 737 factory the FAA is "doing a nose to tail, wingtip to wingtip inspection. And as we get findings out of that inspection, we anticipate that will drive our reimagined oversight," she added.<br/>