Alaska Airlines Extends Boeing 737 MAX 9 Flight Cancellations Amid FAA Inspection Review

 

Alaska Airlines announced on Thursday that it will extend the cancellation of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 flights through Sunday. This decision comes as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) continues to review inspection data from the initial group of 40 planes.

Last week, the FAA stated that 40 out of the 171 grounded planes needed re-inspection before the agency could assess the results and determine the safety of allowing the MAX 9s to resume flying. This scrutiny follows the mid-air cabin incident on a newly delivered Alaska jet on January 5.

Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the two U.S. carriers utilizing the Boeing 737 MAX 9, have conducted the necessary inspections. However, the ongoing review process and precautions have led to the cancellation of thousands of flights for these carriers throughout the month.