Alaska Airlines grounds fleet of 737-9s, impacting Salt Lake flights

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Alaska Airlines made the decision on Wednesday, Jan. 10 to ground its fleet of Boeing 737-9 MAX airplanes, canceling hundreds of flights through to Saturday, including several to and from Salt Lake City.

The decision to cancel flights on the 737-9 MAX aircraft comes days after a door plug detached from a plane shortly after take-off from Portland, Ore.

The plane had been traveling at more than 400 miles per hour at nearly 16,000 feet at the time, creating a vacuum within the passenger cabin. Fortunately, there were no injuries and the plane was able to make a safe emergency landing back in Portland.

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Since the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board has taken a lead role in the investigation of the incident and Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration began a thorough inspection of the 737-9 MAX airplanes. As that investigation continues, Alaska Airlines said the safety of its employees and guests is its highest priority and it will only return the planes to service when the investigation is complete and they meet the airline’s “stringent standards.”

“[The cancellations] equates to between 110-150 flights per day,” Alaska Airlines said in a statement. “We hope this action provides guests with a little more certainty, and we are working around the clock to accommodate impacted guests on other flights.”

Flights to and from Salt Lake City International Airport were included in the impact from the cancellations.

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According to Flight Aware, one Alaska Airlines flight was canceled on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and five were canceled on Thursday, Jan. 11 – all between Salt Lake City and the Seattle-Tacoma airport. Flight Aware did not provide information for Friday or Saturday flights.

Travelers can stay up-to-date about their flight status by visiting the Salt Lake International Airport website or the website of the airline they are flying.

Any Alaska Airlines flyer who has had flights impacted by the grounding of the 737-9 MAXs will be notified with guidance on the next steps and are encouraged to visit Alaska Airline’s website for self-service options.

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