07/01/2024 – 14:21
An incident with an Alaska Airlines plane on Saturday, 6, when the door of an aircraft opened mid-flight and forced an emergency landing caused the suspension of flights of the Boeing 737 MAX-9 model in the United States. The strike extended to Brazil, where the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) followed the recommendation of American authorities. In the country, only Copa Airlines uses this plane model and some flights were cancelled.
According to Procon in São Paulo, consumers affected by the cancellations of Copa Airlines flights must be reaccommodated on other flights – even those from other companies – and, depending on each case, have the right to food and accommodation. In a note, Procon also stated that the airline must provide clear and objective information and inform about possible cancellations.
Copa Airlines suspended flights using the Boeing 737 MAX-9 due to a decision by the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), which followed the directive of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA, the United States aviation regulatory agency). The company has daily flights leaving from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to Panama.
The US agency ordered the suspension of flights with Boeing 737 Max-9 jets for mandatory inspection.
On the Copa Airlines website, you can track the status of each flight. In São Paulo, at around 12:15 pm, of the five flights scheduled for this Sunday, 7, three were cancelled. In Rio de Janeiro, of the two scheduled matches, one left almost eight hours late and the other was cancelled.
“Procon-SP also advises consumers who may have problems to first contact the airline directly. If they are unable to resolve it, they can file a complaint with Procon in their city or state or, at any time, seek justice,” said the agency.
Procon-SP said it will notify all airlines “to guide and assist consumers potentially affected by flight delays or cancellations.” The agency will also question whether they used the 737 MAX model.
Initially, Anac reported that the ban was not necessary in the country because no company operated the model involved in the accident, but it backed down due to the routes operated by Copa Airlines.
In the company's fleet, the Boeing 737 MAX-9 is available in 2 configurations: 13 Boeing 737 MAX 9-A aircraft, with 150 seats in the main cabin, plus 16 seats in Business Class; and 4 Boeing 737 MAX 9-B aircraft, with 162 seats in the main cabin and 12 seats in the business cabin.
In a statement released on Saturday, the 6th, the airline reported that it “temporarily suspended the operations of 21 737 MAX9 aircraft, until they undergo the necessary technical review.”
The company also said that it had already begun technical inspections and that it expected the aircraft to return “to the flight schedule safely and reliably within the next 24 hours.”
“Airline staff are working to minimize the impact to its passengers, although some delays and cancellations are expected due to this situation beyond the company's control,” the company said.
Panic in the air
The model made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon due to a problem that caused part of the plane's fuselage to explode, leaving a hole in the aircraft in mid-flight.
The incident adds to the troubled history of the Boeing 737 MAX class of aircraft. In 2018 and 2019, two major accidents involving the model resulted in the deaths of 346 people and the suspension of flights with the aircraft for 20 months.
The FAA's determination involves some models of the 737 Max-9, those that have a door plug in the center cabin, or an exit that is closed with panels instead of being used as a door. According to the FAA, the decision affects around 171 planes worldwide.
In a statement released this Saturday, Boeing said it agrees and fully supports the FAA's decision to require immediate inspections of 737-9 aircraft with the same configuration as the affected aircraft.
“Safety is our top priority. We deeply regret the impact this event has had on our customers and their passengers,” the company said.
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