The Federal Aviation Administration ordered the immediate grounding of some Boeing 737 MAX 9 jetliners after a side panel of an airplane broke off an Alaska Airlines plane mid-flight Friday evening.
The plane was reportedly about 16,000 feet in the air when the panel blew -- around 10 minutes after departure.
The flight -- bound for Ontario, California -- was able to make a safe emergency landing back at the Portland International Airport that it had taken off from.
While questions remain as to what caused the mid-air scare, passengers worldwide might be wondering if their upcoming flights will be affected, as inspections are conducted on the grounded aircrafts.
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The required inspections take around four to eight hours per aircraft and affect about 171 airplanes globally.
NBC6 received responses from several airlines, explaining whether the temporary grounding will affect their operations in the coming days and weeks.
United Airlines
Local
Some United Airlines flights may be impacted, as the company suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircrafts to conduct the required inspections.
"We are working directly with impacted customers to find them alternative travel options," United said in a statement to NBC6.
United also noted that it has 79 of these aircrafts, including 33 that have already received the necessary inspection.
The required inspections are expected to cause dozens of cancelations this weekend, according to United Airlines.
Aeromexico
Aeromexico said in a statement that it will also ground its B737 MAX 9 aircrafts until they undergo inspection.
"The inspection of our MAX-9 fleet will be completed as soon as possible to continue with scheduled operations, and we will continue to work closely with Boeing and the competent authorities," Aeromexico added.
The airline noted that it will keep customers informed in case of any updates.
Copa Airlines
Copa has temporarily suspended the operations of 21 of its 737 MAX 9 aircrafts until they undergo the required technical inspection.
Copa said on Saturday that it expects to return these aircrafts safely and reliably to the flight schedule within the next 24 hours.
"The airline's team is working to minimize the impact on our passengers, although some delays and cancellations are expected due to this situation beyond the airline's control," Copa said in its statement. "We recommend our passengers to check their flight status here or on the Copa Airlines mobile app."
Airlines not affected
American Airlines, Air Canada and Southwest Airlines all responded to NBC6, saying that they do not operate the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircrafts.
All three of these airlines reportedly operate the smaller 737 MAX 8; therefore, they will not have delays or cancelations related to the FAA's grounding and inspection requirements of the MAX 9.
"The mid-cabin exit door configuration only applies to the 737 MAX 9, and is not present on our 737 MAX 8," Air Canada stated.
NBC6 is working to find out which other airlines might be affected by Saturday's decision by the FAA.
