Copa Airlines maintains suspension of flights with Boeing 737 MAX 9; see how Brazil is affected by the decision

Copa Airlines reported this Thursday, 11th, that it maintains the temporary suspension of 21 aircraft of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 model that it has in its fleet. The measure follows a directive from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). In total, the company has 29 aircraft of the model that lost one of its windows in mid-flight.

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The grounded planes remain on the ground until authorities and Boeing define the inspection instructions necessary for their respective return to operation safely and reliably. The restriction does not affect all Copa Airlines aircraft because, according to the company, eight of the airline's twenty nine aircraft do not have the 'plug' for the intermediate door, precisely the part of the fuselage that had problems on the Alaska Airlines flight.

Copa Airlines is the only airline that operates the suspended model in Brazil, with daily flights between São Paulo and Panama, in addition to Rio de Janeiro and Panama.

According to information gathered by the report, last Sunday, the 7th, of the company's five flights scheduled for the day departing from São Paulo, three were cancelled. In Rio de Janeiro, of the two scheduled, one departed almost eight hours late and the other flight was cancelled.

According to the Aviacionline portal, for Brazil, aircraft that do not have the 'buffer' continue to carry out at least one of the daily flights on each route from Panama City to Rio de Janeiro (Galeão) and São Paulo (Guarulhos).

A This is Money contacted the company to understand if more flights would be affected. Copa Airlines did not say in detail whether the mentioned sections would continue with normal operations or not, but highlighted that the 21 aircraft that have the 'plug' or 'false emergency door', similar to the one ejected on the flight in which the accident occurred, would remain out of operation until further guidance from the authorities.

On the company's website, when checking the availability of flights between Guarulhos airport, in São Paulo, and Panama City, in Panama, the information is that there are no flights available to passengers. So far, Copa Airlines has also not announced how long the problem is expected to last.

“Copa Airlines deeply regrets the flight cancellations and delays resulting from this situation, beyond its control, and wishes to state that its entire team is working tirelessly to mitigate these interruptions in the best possible way, while at the same time expressing its most sincere apologies to its passengers for the inconvenience caused,” the company said in a statement.

Also according to Copa Airlines, the company will provide all necessary assistance to affected passengers, including proactive communication, priority rescheduling on other flights based on availability, penalty-free itinerary changes and refunds, as well as accommodation, boarding and miscellaneous expenses, if necessary.

The airline recommends its passengers to periodically check the status of their flights on the copa.com website or the company's mobile application, especially before heading to the airport.

Understand the case

Last Friday, the 5th, a window and part of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 model plane, with 174 passengers, exploded and the plane's door opened in the air, which caused decompression in mid-flight and led to to an emergency landing shortly after takeoff, in Portland (USA). There were no injuries.

Due to the incident, the Airworthiness Directive issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the United States aviation authority, determined the suspension of operations with the aircraft. The decision affects about 171 planes worldwide, according to the agency. According to the American aviation agency, inspections of Boeing models take four to eight hours per aircraft.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate the case. Boeing, the jet's manufacturer, said in a press release that it agrees and supports the requirement for immediate inspection of the aircraft.

The National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) reported that the suspension automatically affects the aircraft's operations in Brazil, as the North American authority's decision automatically applies to the country.

What can the affected passenger do?

According to Anac, the rules in force in the country determine that scheduled flight cancellations must be informed to passengers at least 72 hours in advance.

If this does not happen, the “carrier must offer reaccommodation alternatives or a full refund,” the agency explained. According to Anac, in situations of cancellation, the passenger has the right to choose between re-accommodation (on another flight) or a full refund.

In a note, Procon of São Paulo also informed that it will notify all airlines “to guide and assist consumers who may be affected by flight delays or cancellations.”