Alaska Airlines has decided to temporarily ground its fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft following a midair incident that occurred after takeoff, causing a window and a piece of fuselage to blow out. The incident led to an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon.

Flight 1282, which was en route to Ontario, California, experienced the alarming event shortly after departure on Friday. As a result of the blown-out window and fuselage, the cabin depressurized. The plane climbed to a height of 16,000 feet before safely returning to Portland International Airport.

Alaska Airlines confirmed that all 174 passengers and six crew members aboard the flight landed securely. In a statement, CEO Ben Minicucci emphasized the airline's commitment to safety and explained the decision to temporarily ground its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft as a precautionary measure.

The airline assured that each individual jet would undergo thorough maintenance and safety inspections before being returned to service. Minicucci expected these inspections to be completed within the next few days.

The cause of the incident has not yet been revealed by Alaska Airlines, but both the United States National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have declared their intention to investigate the matter.

According to data from the FAA, the affected Boeing 737 Max 9 was delivered to Alaska Airlines in late October and certified in early November of last year.

Boeing, the American aircraft manufacturer, stated that it is aware of the emergency landing and is actively collecting more information. The company expressed its readiness to support the investigation being conducted.

The Boeing 737 Max, introduced in May 2017, is the latest model in the 737 series. However, all Boeing 737 Max jets were grounded worldwide for nearly two years in the aftermath of two fatal crashes. The first crash occurred in October 2018 in Indonesia and claimed the lives of 189 individuals, while the second crash occurred in Ethiopia five months later, resulting in the deaths of 157 people.

After extensive modifications to the automated flight-control system that was found to have malfunctioned in both crashes, the Boeing 737 Max was deemed safe to resume operations.

As for Boeing, it is currently awaiting certification for its smaller 737 Max-7 and larger Max-10 jets.

In light of prior concerns, the FAA has been closely monitoring the Boeing 737 Max over the years. In 2021, the FAA announced that it would track all 737 Max aircraft using satellite data as an additional safety measure.