Mid-air blowout jetliner had been restricted over warning light concerns

A panel used to plug an area reserved for an exit door on the Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliner blew out on the flight (National Transportation Safety Board via AP)

The Boeing jetliner that suffered an in-flight blowout over Oregon was not being used for journeys to Hawaii after a warning light that could have indicated a pressurisation problem lit up on three different flights, a US official said.

Alaska Airlines decided to restrict the aircraft from long flights over water so that the plane “could return very quickly to an airport” if the warning light reappeared, said Jennifer Homendy, chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).