Three Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes, the only ones Indonesia had, were grounded starting from Jan 6 until further notice, said Adita Irawati, a transport ministry spokesperson.
The Lion Air planes had a “mid cabin emergency exit door type II” whereas the Alaska Airlines plane had a “mid exit door plug”, Adita said.
“This means the system in the mid-section of emergency doors were functional and could be used for evacuation,” Adita added.
The ministry will coordinate with the FAA, Boeing and Lion Air to monitor the situation, adding that “operational safety will be our priority”.
A Lion Air spokesperson said the airline is conducting further inspection of the planes to ensure the emergency door mechanism works normally.