The Seattle-based airline expects cancellations to continue through the first half of the week.
The impact of Sunday's cancellations was significantly significant, affecting nearly 25,000 guests. Alaska Airlines, which operates a fleet of 65 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, is one of the major airlines affected by this matter. Grounding.
Alaska Airlines horror in the air: Passengers witness window explode on Flight 1282; Boeing responds to 737-9 fleet disaster
The Federal Aviation Administration's decision Saturday to temporarily ground flights came after an accident involving an eight-week-old Alaska Airlines plane. The plane was forced to make an emergency landing due to a gap in the fuselage, after the door seal separated from the left side of the plane. This accident occurred shortly after the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, on a flight bound for Ontario, California. Fortunately, the pilots were able to return and land safely, without all 171 passengers and six crew members being harmed.
In response to these safety concerns, the FAA stated that it “will remain on the ground until the FAA is satisfied that it is safe.” This statement, issued on Sunday, underscores the agency's commitment to passenger safety and strict compliance with aviation standards. The grounding of these aircraft represents an important step in ensuring that the necessary comprehensive inspections and corrections are made before these aircraft return to the skies.
Meanwhile, those who build, service, operate and regulate aircraft will be in the spotlight.
It is not clear whether Boeing is responsible for what happened to the Alaska Airlines plane, but the incident raises new questions for the manufacturer and puts additional pressure on it. Another version of the Max, the 737 Max 8, was involved in two accidents that killed hundreds of people in 2018 and 2019 and led to the global grounding of that plane.
“The problem is what's going on at Boeing,” said John Goglia, a longtime aviation safety consultant and retired member of the National Aviation Safety Board, which investigates plane crashes.
Last month, the company urged airlines to inspect more than 1,300 delivered Max jets for a possible loose screw in the rudder control system. Over the summer, Boeing said a major supplier improperly drilled holes in a component that helps maintain cabin pressure. Since then, Boeing has invested and worked closely with that supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, to address production issues.
Spirit AeroSystems also worked on the 737 Max 9 fuselage, including fabricating and installing the door seal that malfunctioned on an Alaska Airlines flight.
(With inputs from agencies)
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