Alaska Airlines canceling Boeing 737 Max flights through Saturday
FILE - In this Monday, March 1, 2021 file photo, The first Alaska Airlines passenger flight on a Boeing 737-9 Max airplane takes off on a flight to San Diego from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Seattle. Dozens of flights along the U.S. West Coast were canceled Friday, April 1, 2022 as Alaska Airlines pilots picketed during ongoing contract negotiations with the airline. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Alaska Airlines announced Wednesday that it will cancel all flights scheduled with Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft through Saturday, citing delays in safety inspections.
The cancelations come after a window panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines aircraft mid-flight on Friday, causing the FAA to order close inspections of 737 Max 9 planes nationwide.
“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,” the airline said Wednesday.
The airline said that about 110 to 150 flights per day will be canceled. United Airlines has also canceled flights due to 737 Max 9 inspections.
“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,” the airline said.
The Friday incident was reportedly caused by loose bolts in the window panel. The flight was rerouted to Portland, Ore., and nobody was seriously injured. Inspections on other aircraft have also found loose bolts in door plug window panels.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun spoke out Tuesday, calling the incident a “mistake” that “can never happen again.”
“We’re going to approach this, No. 1, acknowledging our mistake with 100 percent and complete transparency every step of the way,” Calhoun said in an address to Boeing employees.
The company’s stock has tumbled, dropping nearly 10 percent since Friday.