By Chinelo Obogo
Aviation expert, Sean Mendis, has said that the safety concerns with Boeing 737 will not affect African travelers because there is just one Max9 aircraft operated by Air Tanzania.
Speaking on CNBA Africa, after a panel called a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines jet over Oregon, leaving a hole in the side of the plane, Mendis said Air Tanzania is the only African operator with that Boeing 737 Max9 variant, hence, African travelers won’t be affected by the issue.
“I don’t think this issue would affect African Travelers at all because there is only one 737-Max9 operational in Africa and that is with Air Tanzania in Tanzania. All the other 737 Max that African operators like Ethiopian Airlines operate is the 737-Max8 variant which does not have this particular type of door installed. The problem with this is that the 737-Max9 is much larger than the Max8 variant, so there need to be more doors to allow passengers to evacuate in case of an emergency. However, some airlines which have larger business classes or similar do actually need to have that door active, as a result, Boeing replaces them with those plugs and a sheet that doesn’t open and close,” he said.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all Max 9s in the United States last Saturday, the day after a panel called a door plug blew off an Alaska Airlines jet over Oregon, leaving a hole in the side of the plane. The plug replaces extra doors that are used on Max 9s that are outfitted with more seats than Alaska uses. The pilots of flight 1282 were able to return to Portland, Oregon, and make a safe emergency landing. No serious injuries were reported.
On Tuesday, January 9, the FAA, said every Boeing 737-9 Max with a plug door will remain grounded until the FAA certify that all can safely return to operation but that to begin this process, Boeing must provide instructions to operators for inspections and maintenance. Boeing offered an initial version of instructions which they are now revising because of feedback received. Upon receiving the revised version of instructions from Boeing, the FAA said it will conduct a thorough review because the safety of the flying public, not speed, will determine the timeline for returning the Boeing 737-9 Max to service.