Copa Airlines said on Saturday it has suspended operations of 21 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft while undergoing technical review, according to a directive from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The Panamanian-flagged airline said in a statement that “has initiated the required technical inspections and expects to return these aircraft to the flight schedule safely and reliably within the next 24 hours”.

“The Copa Airlines human team is working to minimize the impact on our passengers, even though some delays and cancellations are expected as a result of this situation beyond the airline’s control,” the company’s letter said.

The flights affected by this temporary suspension are flights departing from Panama to EcuadorCanada, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, and others are arriving in the Central American country from Brazil, Uruguay, Honduras, the United States, Guatemala and Costa Rica, according to information published by the local press.

The US FAA ordered the “temporary immobilization” of approximately 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft on Saturday was operated in that country and in other countries for review, after one of these Alaska Airlines devices lost part of its fuselage mid-flight, although it was able to land safely at the airport in Portland, Oregon (USA).

“The required inspections will take between four and eight hours per aircraft,” the FAA said Saturday before issuing an Emergency Airworthiness Directive (EAD) requiring airlines to review it.

Since 2015, Copa Airlines has ordered 85 737 MAX aircraft from Boeing, as part of a plan to modernize its fleet. (JO)