Three weeks after the resumption of operations of Aeromexico’s Boeing 737 MAX 9 fleet, all 19 aircraft are now fully operational. However, passenger traffic results for January 2024 reveal a drop in activity due to the model’s grounding.
On January 6, 2024, an incident involving the detachment of the emergency exit door plug from a Boeing 737 MAX 9 operated by Alaska Airlines led to the grounding of most of the worldwide fleet of this model.
Following investigations, the U.S. regulatory agency endorsed the overhaul and maintenance process after evaluating repairs performed on 40 aircraft. It also convened a Corrective Action Review Board (CARB), which reviewed and approved the proposed procedure. The actions performed on the overridden doors are:
- An inspection of specific nuts, guides and fittings.
- Detailed visual inspections of door adjustments and «dozens» of associated components.
- Adjust screwdriver torque.
- Correct any damage or abnormal conditions.
Traffic drop at Aeromexico
Following regulatory approval on January 26, 2024, Aeromexico resumed operations of its Boeing 737 MAX 9, which represented 5.63% of the airline’s total fleet.
Aeromexico regretted the «inconvenience» caused by the disruption that resulted in the cancellation of 131 flights, as reported by the Federal Consumer Protection Agency (Profeco).
However, during the 20 days that the 737-9 was grounded, the company recorded a 5.41% drop in passenger traffic in January 2024, compared to the same period in 2022, carrying 1,290,000 passengers. Although, this figure is 1.5% higher than the same month last year, offset by the international which registered 700 thousand passengers.
This situation was also reflected in other airlines such as Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two main operators of the 737-9, with 65 and 79 units, respectively. Copa Airlines, which has 29 units, also felt the impact.
