Turkish Airlines ground its five Boeing 737 MAX 9

Turkish Airlines announced on Sunday that it would ground its five Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft following an incident involving a similar plane from Alaska Airlines.

The decision to ground the planes is a precautionary measure following the incident with Alaska Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 9.

According to Turkish Airlines, the five Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in its fleet will be withdrawn from operational service upon landing and undergo thorough inspections before resuming flights.

The move comes after an Alaska Airlines flight lost a door shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport in Oregon, USA.

In response to the incident, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered an immediate inspection of 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft that were grounded following the incident. The FAA directive requires operators (airlines) to inspect the aircraft before allowing them to return to service.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) dispatched a team to Portland to investigate the cause of the malfunction.

Turkish Airlines, headquartered at the new Istanbul International Airport, serves 120 countries and proudly holds the title of the "airline that flies to the most countries in the world."