Transportation

United Poised to Resume Flights of Boeing 737 Max 9 Jetliners

Carrier says it’s received FAA approval following inspections
Alaska flying the planes for first time since midair incident

A United Airlines Boeing 737 Max-9 aircraft grounded at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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By Victoria Cavaliere

January 27, 2024 at 4:40 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

United Airlines Holdings Inc. is poised to resume service of some Boeing Co. Max 9s starting on Sunday, weeks after the jets were grounded following a mid-air blowout of a door plug during an Alaska Airlines flight.

In a letter to employees, United said it had received final approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to complete the process of returning its Max 9 fleet to service following a “thorough inspection process.” United is one of Boeing’s biggest customers, and the airline has been frustrated with the planemaker’s inability to overcome quality lapses, Bloomberg earlier reported.