TikTok user @strawberr.vy captured a video of a large portion of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max plane taking off and then descending. (@strawberr.vy/TikTok)
alaska airlines United Airlines has canceled hundreds of flights scheduled to fly this weekend on its Boeing 737 MAX 9 after a panel was blown off the aircraft on Friday from Portland, Oregon, causing chaos in the cabin. The plane was out of service for inspection. Decompression.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines are two major U.S. airlines operating the Boeing 737 MAX 9, one of which flew from Portland to Ontario, Calif., on Friday at an altitude of about 16,000 feet. I lost my door plug panel. In all, airlines canceled about 600 flights over the weekend to allow for inspection of the MAX 9 aircraft.
Door plug panels are installed on MAX 9 aircraft for airlines that choose not to configure the aircraft to accommodate up to 220 passengers who must use it as an emergency exit. No serious injuries were reported in the incident, but some passengers were treated for injuries and received medical attention. After the explosion, the plane returned safely to Portland. There were no passengers in the seats closest to the blown out plug door, and both chairs were damaged.
Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) moved to suspend operations. Boeing 737 MAX9 A passenger aircraft with a plug door that allows inspection of other aircraft with that configuration. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also investigating the incident.
What you need to know about the Boeing 737 MAX 9 panel that was blown away in the air
United Airlines canceled about 270 flights over the weekend, including 737 MAX 9 aircraft, and 145 flights were reassigned to other aircraft. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Alaska Airlines operates 65 737 MAX 9s, and on Sunday after the Seattle-based airline canceled 160 flights on Saturday, impacting about 23,000 travelers. The airline said it had canceled 170 flights, impacting about 25,000 travelers per day. He added that he expected “further significant cancellations through the first half of the week.”
Alaska Airlines added in a statement that it is “awaiting further information from both the FAA and Boeing to begin the required inspections of the door plugs on our 737-9 MAX aircraft and will share information as we are able.”
Alaska Airlines inspected and inspected 18 737 MAX 9 aircraft early Saturday before the FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive, but will then wait to hear from the FAA and Boeing about additional work needed. For the time being, those aircraft were also grounded.
| ticker | safety | last | change | change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | United Airlines Holdings Co., Ltd. | 41.76 | +1.29 | +3.19% |
| alk | Alaska Airlines Group Co., Ltd. | 37.95 | +1.14 | +3.10% |
| BA | boeing company | 249.00 | +4.06 | +1.66% |
Video: Alaska Airlines passenger captures horrifying moment after parts of plane are blown into the air
Alaska Airlines canceled about 330 flights over the weekend, including nine 737 MAX aircraft, following Friday's explosion. ((Photo by: Stephen Brasear/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
“United Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operations remain temporarily suspended while we conduct FAA-required inspections.” united airlines he told FOX Business in a statement. “We continue to work with the FAA to clarify the inspection process and requirements for returning all MAX 9 aircraft to service.
United Airlines added: “We are working with customers to reschedule them on other flights and, in some cases, have been able to avoid cancellations by switching to other aircraft types.”
United Airlines announced that it has 79 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft in its fleet. Of the 273 flights scheduled for Saturday, 90 were canceled and nearly 60 were saved by using other aircraft. Meanwhile, about 180 of the 265 flights scheduled for Sunday were canceled, and 85 were saved by using different aircraft.
A door plug panel in the fuselage of a Boeing 737 MAX 9 exploded on a flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, California, and Alaska Airlines and United Airlines' MAX 9 planes were grounded for inspection. (Photographer: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The company has parked all its MAX 9 aircraft and has begun preliminary inspections while awaiting final instructions from the FAA and Boeing.
