The public has been asked to aid US authorities in the search for the missing panel that came loose on the new Boeing 737 MAX 9 that belongs to Alaska Airlines, as operators worldwide ground their models of the variant to enable thorough safety checks.

On Friday, January 6th, an Alaska Airlines flight had departed Portland, Oregon (PDX), en route for Ontario, California (ONT), when the left door plug blew out of the aircraft. Pilots then requested an emergency landing and were able to touch down safely with all 171 passengers and six crew onboard, with only minor injuries reported.

It is presumed that the missing material will likely land in the western suburbs of Portland. However, nothing has yet been handed in.

Boeing is once again under the spotlight

US plane manufacturer Boeing is once again under the microscope as it awaits further certification for its upcoming MAX 7 and 10 aircraft; however, this same family of aircraft was responsible for the Lion Air LT610 and Ethiopian Airlines ET302 crashes, leading to hundreds of fatalities. These two accidents led to global MAX groundings for over 20 months as officials investigated the aircraft's airworthiness. Further investigations discovered that the fatal flights, which accounted for the deaths of 350 innocent individuals, were due to poorly designed cockpit software (MCAS) that pilots didn't even know existed.

Currently, the MAX 9 variants' most prominent operators are within the United States, notably Alaska and United Airlines. Neighboring Copa Airlines and Aeromexico also use the type and have grounded the aircraft for further inspection. Outside of North America, Turkish Airlines has also followed suit.

At Alaska Airlines, the carrier quickly grounded all 65 of its MAX 9s shortly after the incident for thorough checks by its service crew. This led to 163 flights being canceled on Sunday, January 7th, representing 21% of its overall operations. United Airlines, the largest operator of the variant in North America, also canceled 230 services, equivalent to 8% of all departures.

MAX operators respond

While there are limited operators of the MAX 9 at present, other airlines in the MAX family have responded, including Australian low-cost newcomer Bonza, which reported that no grounding or safety issues would be required for its new family of aircraft.

India's Aviation Authority also ordered immediate checks of all its 737 MAX, with a sharp deadline of noon on Sunday, January 7th; three Indian carriers operate the variants - Air India Express, Akasa Air, and SpiceJet. In all, 41 MAXs take to the skies in India, with plenty more on order. Air India has as many as 190 MAX aircraft on order for its wholly-owned low-cost subsidiary, but the -9 variant is excluded, with the -8 and -10 variants as options. The airline reportedly said it has been in touch with Boeing to get more information and will comply with any advisories set by regulators.