Alaska Airlines is set to resume flights using its fleet of 737 MAX 9 airplanes today after a 19-day grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The grounding followed an incident on January 5th when a door plug blew off during a flight operated by Alaska Airlines. United Airlines, which also owns several 737 MAX 9 aircraft, is planning to resume flights using the same model by Sunday.
The FAA has ungrounded the planes, pending inspections by both Alaska and United Airlines. The focus of the inspections will be on the door plug, specifically examining the guides and bolts. Loose bolts were discovered on the fleets of both airlines, prompting the FAA to mandate thorough inspections and necessary fixes before allowing the aircraft to fly again. The FAA's grounding order officially ended on Wednesday night, and airlines are now working diligently to ensure the safety and readiness of their planes.
