UAE confirms no technical issues with local airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft

The General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) of the UAE has confirmed that local airlines, including flydubai, are not operating Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft affected by a recent technical defect. This statement follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) temporary grounding of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jetliners for safety checks. The FAA’s action came in response to a cabin panel blowout on a new Alaska Airlines jet, forcing an emergency landing. The GCAA emphasized that its records have been verified with the FAA, and it is actively monitoring updates.

Flydubai, the sole operator of 737 MAX 9 planes among the six local carriers, has also asserted that its aircraft are unaffected by the FAA’s emergency airworthiness directive. According to a flydubai spokesperson, the three Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in their fleet operate with a deactivated mid-aft exit door configuration, which is not referenced in the directive.

Globally, scheduled flights on the MAX 9 in January 2024, before Alaska Airlines’ announcement, included significant numbers from major carriers like United Airlines and Alaska Airlines. Flydubai, with 342 flights, was among them, as reported by Cirium.

Flydubai’s fleet comprises 29 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, including three MAX 9 planes. Last year, the carrier added thirteen Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its fleet. In a strategic move, flydubai placed its first wide-body order for 30 Boeing 787-9s at the Dubai Airshow, diversifying its existing all-Boeing 737 fleet.

The airline highlighted its commitment to safety by stating that it had completed C-checks on its aircraft within the last 24 months. C-checks, considered part of heavy maintenance in aviation, typically occur between 18 months to 2 years and involve comprehensive inspections carried out at specialized facilities, spanning up to two weeks.

Boeing’s precautionary measures in late December, urging airlines to inspect MAX 737 airplanes for a possible loose bolt in the rudder control system, stemmed from an international operator’s discovery during routine maintenance. Boeing later found an undelivered aircraft with a nut not properly tightened.

India’s aviation regulator also ordered inspections of all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft owned by domestic operators after a cabin panel blowout incident. The aviation industry is closely monitoring these developments, emphasizing the critical importance of safety in air travel.