Boeing 737-Max 9s are returning to service in the Alaska Airlines fleet after the planes were grounded following a mid-air explosion earlier this month.
The airline announced on Friday that final inspections of the first group of Max 9 aircraft have been completed and the FAA has cleared the aircraft to return to service. The first Max 9 to return to the air will be Flight 1146, which will fly from Seattle to San Diego on Friday afternoon. The flight is scheduled to depart at 2:20 p.m. PST, according to CBS News.
Two more Max 9 flights will depart later this afternoon: Flight 621 from Las Vegas to Portland, Oregon, and Flight 1086 from Seattle to Ontario, California, according to CBS News.
According to Alaska Airlines’ official website, guests who are uncomfortable flying on the Max 9 aircraft can request to be moved to another flight. CBS News reported that United Airlines, the only other airline operating the planes, has a similar policy when Max 9 flights resume on Saturday.
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An NTSB member examines the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
NTSB via Getty
Inspections of the rest of the Alaska Airlines fleet are still ongoing. “Each of our 737-9 MAXs will return to service only after rigorous inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy according to FAA requirements,” the airline said.
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The airline also noted that each inspection takes around “12 hours” and believes the entire fleet will be ready to return to service by the end of next week.
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On January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California made an emergency landing after a plug door in the rear of the plane exploded at 16,000 feet, leaving a hole in the side of the plane. All 177 passengers survived, but it is understandable that they were shaken by the event.
One passenger, Jessica Montoia, told the BBC the flight was “a trip from hell”. Meanwhile, the 15-year-old, identified only as Jack, had his shirt ripped off by suction from the mid-air incident.
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“I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent manner,” company CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement after the emergency landing.
“My heart goes out to those on this flight – I’m very sorry for what you experienced. I’m very grateful for the response from our pilots and flight attendants. We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and working to support guests traveling to the days ahead”, he added.
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