Alaska Airlines announced the temporary grounding of its fleet of 65 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes following a harrowing midair incident on Friday. The airline's CEO, Ben Minicucci, stated that each aircraft will undergo comprehensive maintenance and safety inspections before returning to service. The inspections are expected to be completed in the next few days.

The incident occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which was en route from Portland to Ontario, California. Shortly after takeoff, a section of the plane blew out, causing an explosive decompression at the window exit. Passengers on board were seen wearing oxygen masks as images and videos of the damaged aircraft circulated on social media.

The flight crew immediately initiated an emergency landing and safely returned to Portland, where it landed at 5:26 p.m. local time. The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed that there were no reported serious injuries. Both the NTSB and the Federal Aviation Administration have launched investigations into the incident.

Boeing, the manufacturer of the aircraft, acknowledged the incident but did not provide further comment. They have assured their readiness to support the investigation through a dedicated technical team. It remains unclear at this time what may have caused the section of the plane to blow out.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the labor union representing Alaska's cabin crew and flight attendants, applauded Alaska Airlines' decision to ground the Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet. Their president, Sara Nelson, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of all crew and passengers and pledged to closely monitor the inspection process.

The Boeing 737 Max 9, a larger variant of the 737 Max 8, is equipped with a cabin exit door behind the wings for denser seating configurations. According to Flightradar24, these doors are deactivated on Alaska Airlines aircraft. The airline and Boeing have not yet provided a comment regarding the deactivated doors.

United Airlines, which also operates the Boeing 737 Max 9, has not issued a statement regarding the incident. Worldwide, there are currently 215 Boeing 737 Max 9 planes in service, with Alaska Airlines having completed 5,024 flights with the aircraft before Friday's incident.

It is noteworthy that the Boeing 737 Max series faced grounding in 2019 after two fatal crashes in a span of five months. Following extensive software and training updates, the U.S. lifted the flight ban on the jets in late 2020. In recent months, Boeing has urged airlines to inspect the aircraft for potential manufacturing flaws, including loose bolts in the rudder control system.

As investigations proceed, passengers and industry experts await further updates on the cause of the incident and the potential impact on the Boeing 737 Max 9 fleet's future operations.