NEWS: Alaska Airlines Grounds 65 Aircraft Following Midair Incident

Recently, passengers aboard an Alaska Airlines flight were forced to make an emergency landing due to a midair flight incident.

Flying is stressful

The incident took place on January 5th, 2024, and Alaska Airlines has responded to the situation.

According to The New York Times, Alaska Airlines has grounded all flights on its Boeing 737 MAX-9 aircraft after a midair incident forced one of those planes to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport in Oregon. The Boeing 737 MAX-9 comprises about a fifth of Alaska Airlines’ fleet.

©Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was on its way to Ontario, California, when a problem with the airplane’s pressure blew out a chunk of the plane’s fuselage while in flight. The flight made a safe emergency landing in Portland with its 171 passengers and six crew members. Passengers on that flight have taken to social media to discuss the incident, and some videos have been posted online that show oxygen masks dropping down after a gaping hole was torn into the plane.

Alaska Airlines ‘Star Wars’ plane

Shortly after the incident, the airline took to social media to announce it would temporarily suspend all 65 of its Boeing MAX-9 aircraft until each plane could be properly inspected. The airline expects that inspections could be completed within a few days.

Flight 1282 and our next steps with the Boeing MAX-9: https://t.co/LFxJvQYNcA pic.twitter.com/oemRokr1tz

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024

The plane used for Flight 1282 was relatively new and first went into service in November 2023. It had logged 145 flights before the incident. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are working with Alaska Airlines to investigate what happened. Passengers onboard the flight are being notified with guidance on the next steps, according to Alaska Airlines.

pic.twitter.com/btpfqZgsEs

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024

UPDATE: On January 6th at 11:54AM, Alaska Airlines shared additional information, stating, “As of this morning, inspections on more than a quarter of our 737-9 fleet are complete with no concerning findings. Aircraft will return to service as their inspections are completed with our full confidence.”

As of this morning, inspections on more than a quarter of our 737-9 fleet are complete with no concerning findings. Aircraft will return to service as their inspections are completed with our full confidence.

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024

UPDATE: On January 6th at 3:34PM, Alaska Airlines shared this update, stating that they have checked 18 of their planes using their plug door inspections and have cleared them for service. They will continue checking the Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircrafts over the next few days.

For updates & more information visit: https://t.co/KTTI7mnghK pic.twitter.com/naOL10ahyk

— Alaska Airlines (@AlaskaAir) January 6, 2024

At 4:02PM, United Airlines, which also uses these same planes in its fleet, stated that it has “temporarily suspended service on select Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircrafts to conduct an inspection required by the FAA.”