Alaska Airlines cancels Boeing 737 Max 9 flights after midair incident

Alaska Airlines on Wednesday announced the cancellation of all its flights on Boeing 737 Max 9s after a door plug blew off one of the jetliners midair last week.

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“As of this morning, we have made the decision to cancel all flights on 737-9 MAX aircraft through Saturday, Jan. 13 while we conduct inspections and prepare fully for return to service,” Alaska Airlines said Wednesday in a statement. “This equates to between 110-150 flights per day.”

The decision came after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was forced to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night with 171 passengers and six crew members onboard. As the plane was ascending for a trip to Ontario, California, a door plug blew off the jetliner, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage.

The door plug and two cellphones blown from the plane were later found in the Portland area, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The incident prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners pending inspections. On Monday, United Airlines said it found loose bolts while inspecting its Max 9 fleet. Alaska Airlines has also said it found loose parts, though formal inspections have yet to begin, Reuters reported.

Alaska and United are the only airlines that fly Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Authorities continue to investigate what caused the plug door to fly off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 last week with focus whether the bolts used to secure the panel were installed, according to The Associated Press.

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NTSB investigates after door plug blown off Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, oxygen masks hang from the fuselage as members of the NTSB examine Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, a Boeing 737 Max 9, on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. (Handout/NTSB via Getty Images)

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