Turkish Airlines has grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9s after a cabin door on a flight from Portland to Ontario, California, broke off just a few minutes after takeoff.

STORY: Turkish Airlines grounds all Boeing 737 Max 9s after incident in U.S.
SHOOTING DATE: Jan. 8, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:01
LOCATION: ISTANBUL, Türkiye
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the airport in Istanbul, Türkiye
2. various of Turkish Airlines' grounded fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft

STORYLINE:

Türkiye's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) has grounded all of its Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in the wake of the incident in the U.S., local media reported on Monday.
   
THY decided to ground all five of its Max 9 planes "until the technical investigation process is completed and the measures requested by the authorities are taken," according to the NTV broadcaster.
   
It said the grounding decision would be valid for the aircraft at the airport where they would first land.
   
"Flight safety is our top priority," THY press advisor Yahya Ustun wrote in a post on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
   
Although THY has a small fleet, the NTV noted that the grounding is expected to affect the flights adversely, causing cancellations and travel disruptions.
   
According to the NTV report, the airline's two planes landed in Iran when THY announced its grounding decision. The broadcaster said that it was unclear whether THY would bring its aircraft from Iran to Türkiye.
   
The emergency exit door of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 type aircraft exploded at 16,000 feet on Friday, leaving a large hole and decompressing the passenger cabin.
   
The incident, which happened soon after the plane's take-off from Portland International Airport in the U.S. state of Oregon, had left the passengers in panic. The plane, destined for Ontario, California, made an emergency landing back in Portland.
  
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Istanbul, Türkiye.
(XHTV)