Boeing plane makes emergency landing after discovering a crack in the cockpit window

All Nippon Airways, Japan's largest airline, has Boeing 737 aircraft in its fleet. Photo: Manabu Takahashi/Getty Images

Passenger aircraft Boeing was forced to make an emergency landing after a crack was discovered in its cockpit window during the flight.

All domestic Nippon Airways (ANA) flights in Japan, with 65 people on board, were forced to turn back . to the departure airport in Sapporo on Saturday.

It was the second safety incident to rock Boeing in as many weeks and will further fuel concerns about the reliability of its planes. At least $14 billion (£11 billion) was lost from the company's stock market value in one day after a door was torn off on one of its planes operated by Alaska Airlines on January 5.

More than 170 737 Max 9 models have since been grounded in the US.

The plane was about to cross the Tsugaru Strait when it turned back to Sapporo, where it landed at 12:10 local time (15:10). GMT).

«The crack did not affect flight control or airtightness,» said a spokesman for ANA, Japan's largest airline.

They added that the crack occurred on the outermost of four layers of glass in the cockpit window. . There were no injuries or deaths and alternative flights were arranged for passengers.

It comes after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Friday that all Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in the US would be grounded indefinitely. term «for an indefinite period». safety of American travelers» following the in-flight explosion ten days ago.

«Our only concern is the safety of American travelers, and the Boeing 737-9 MAX will not return to the skies until we are completely satisfied that it is safe to do so.» «said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker.

He added that he would also strengthen oversight of Boeing itself.

The company's 737 Max was previously grounded for 20 months. after two deadly accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019 respectively, killing almost 400 people.