The Federal Aviation Administration has ordered the temporary grounding of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or flown in the United States by foreign carriers following a harrowing flight in which an Alaska Airlines jetliner was left with a gaping hole in its side.
On Friday, a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 seven minutes after takeoff from Portland, Ore., on the plane that had been bound for Ontario, Calif. The rapid loss of cabin pressure pulled the clothes off a child and caused oxygen masks to drop from the ceiling. Pilots made a safe emergency landing. Alaska Airlines officials said several passengers suffered injuries that required medical attention; however, all have now been medically cleared.
The Alaska Airlines incident did not involve a Hawaii flight, but the nearly brand-new plane involved in the fuselage blowout has flown between the islands and the continental U.S. before. Alaska said it took delivery of the plane on Oct. 31.
The incident’s importance in Hawaii also is elevated as Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is in the process of buying kamaaina company Hawaiian Airlines in a $1.9 billion deal that was announced in December.
Subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals, the deal is expected to close over a 12 to 18 month period. If approved, the deal would mean that Alaska, the nation’s fifth-largest airline, would grow to a fleet of 365 airplanes serving 138 destinations.
Daniel Chun, regional vice president Hawaii for Alaska Airlines, said in an email, “While we are immediately focused on taking care of our impacted guests and employees and working to conduct a review of what occurred last night, this incident does not impact our ongoing plans to combine with Hawaiian Airlines. This strategic decision remains on course and is rooted in a shared vision to enhance our service offerings and customer experience for all guests and the people of Hawaii.”
Chun said the grounding of Alaska’s 737 MAX 9 planes led to multiple Hawaii flight cancellations for Alaska Airlines, including two flights on Friday, and at least 15 on Saturday. As of 4 p.m. Saturday, system-wide, the airline had canceled 160 total flights, affecting roughly 23,000 passengers. The airline said it expects disruptions to last through at least midweek.
“We deeply apologize for the significant impact this has on our guests. Guests whose travel has been impacted can go online to view flight options and re-book travel, place the value of their ticket in their Mileage Plan Wallet for future use, or request a refund,” Chun said. “Additionally, we are providing support to our crew and other employees affected by this event through our Employee Assistance Program.”
The FAA’s emergency order on Saturday, which releases 737 MAX 9 planes back into service once inspections are completed, resulted in Alaska and United Airlines delaying or cancelling hundreds of flights.
The FAA has said that the inspections would affect 171 planes worldwide and are likely to take four to eight hours each. Alaska, which has 65 of the 737 Max 9 planes, and United, which has 79, are working their way through the required inspections.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement Saturday, “The FAA is requiring immediate inspections of certain Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes before they can return to flight. Safety will continue to drive our decision-making as we assist the (National Transportation Safety Board’s) investigation into Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.”
Boeing, based in Arlington, Va., issued a statement saying it supported the FAA’s decision to require immediate inspections. Boeing said it was providing technical help to the investigators.
Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci took precautionary actions in advance of the FAA directive. Following the incident Friday, he announced that the airline was grounding its fleet of 737 MAX 9s and would not return them to service before performing full maintenance and safety checks.
“We are working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred tonight, and will share updates as more information is available. The NTSB is investigating this event and we will fully support their investigation,” Minicucci said. “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight — I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants.”
Alaska Airlines officials said that 18 of its 737-9 MAX aircraft had received in-depth inspections as part of heavy maintenance checks and continued in service Saturday until the carrier received the FAA’s Emergency Airworthiness Directive.
“These aircraft have now also been pulled from service until details about possible additional maintenance work are confirmed with the FAA,” Alaska Airlines said. “We are in touch with the FAA to determine what, if any, further work is required before these aircraft are returned to service.”
United Airlines said it had inspected 33 of its 79 Max 9s, and pulling the planes from service had caused about 60 canceled flights.
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority said Saturday that it is closely monitoring the FAA’s order.
HTA said in statement, “We advise those traveling to or from the Hawaiian Islands today to check with their airline or travel advisor for any possible schedule changes as a result of this safety measure.”
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The Associated Press and Honolulu Star-Advertiser reporter Peter Boylan contributed to this report.
