Alaska Airlines Resumes Boeing 737 Max 9 Flights

Alaska Airlines has announced the resumption of flights for their Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners, marking the first time these aircraft have been in service since they were grounded due to a panel incident. The airline has completed a comprehensive inspection of their fleet and successfully carried out a flight from Seattle to San Diego on Friday.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently approved the inspection and maintenance process necessary for the planes to return to service, a decision that prompted Alaska Airlines to begin inspections immediately. The airline estimates that all inspections will be finalized by the end of next week, allowing them to operate a full flight schedule. Each inspection is expected to take up to 12 hours per aircraft.

In a written statement, Alaska Airlines emphasized their commitment to safety, stating that every Boeing 737-9 MAX will only be cleared to fly once it has undergone rigorous inspections and meets all FAA requirements.

United Airlines, the only other U.S. carrier operating this model, aims to follow suit and resume flights of their Boeing 737 Max 9 on Sunday. However, they might deploy the aircraft as spare planes on Friday or Saturday.

The FAA has provided detailed guidelines for airlines to inspect and repair door plugs, which are the panels responsible for sealing extra doors on the Max 9. One such door plug detached during Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on January 5th, prompting the immediate grounding of all 65 Max 9 jets in their fleet. The FAA issued a nationwide grounding order for all Max 9s the following day. Fortunately, no passengers were seriously injured during the incident.

With the successful completion of inspections and adherence to FAA protocols, Alaska Airlines can once again operate their Boeing 737 Max 9s, ensuring safe and reliable travel for their passengers.