PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Alaska Airlines announced on Wednesday the cancellation of all Boeing 737 MAX 9 flights through Saturday as it waits to inspect its fleet after one of its jets lost a door plug mid-flight last week.
As of Wednesday, Jan. 10, Alaska Airlines says they are still waiting for documentation from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to start inspections on their 737-9 MAX fleet.
In a statement, the airlines said they estimate between 110 and 150 flights will be canceled per day as a result.
“We regret the significant disruption that has been caused for our guests by cancellations due to these aircraft being out of service. However, the safety of our employees and guests is our highest priority and we will only return these aircraft to service when all findings have been fully resolved and meet all FAA and Alaska’s stringent standards,” Alaska Airlines said in a press release. “We hope this action provides guests with a little more certainty, and we are working around the clock to reaccommodate impacted guests on other flights.”
Alaska Airlines listed three additional “things” that must happen before inspections begin: Boeing must issue a final Multi-Operator Message with inspection details for the 737 MAX 9 aircraft as approved by the FAA; the FAA must publish Alternative Methods of Compliance, detailing approval of the inspection processes; and Alaska needs to create detailed inspection instructions for their maintenance technicians to conduct the inspections per FAA specifications.
Alaska Airlines’ announcement comes after the FAA grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes with plugged emergency row exits on Jan. 9 until they are deemed safe to fly.
The flight cancellations come amid investigations into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 after the aircraft lost one of its door plugs at 16,000 feet. The accident created a gaping hole in the plane and forced the pilots to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport with more than 170 passengers and six crew members on board.
