US transportation head grounds Boeing 737 Max 9 planes indefinitely | World News

As of now there is no timeline for their return to the skies, as Alaska Airlines continues to cancel hundreds of flights each day.

Buttigeg said he has spoken to the head of Boeing and told him the company needs to do everything it can to establish ‘100% confidence in its planes’.

The aircraft’s safety was called into question after a window blew off an Alaska Airlines flight shortly after it took off from Portland International Airport, causing the cabin to depressurise.

The airline said the plane landed safely with 174 passengers and six crew members.

The Boeing 737-9 Max involved in the incident received its certification two months ago, according to online FAA records.

The plane had been on 145 flights since entering commercial service on November 11, said FlightRadar24, another tracking service. The flight from Portland was the aircraft’s third of the day.

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