PORTLAND, Ore. — Alaska Airlines is slowly starting to return Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes to the air, three weeks after a piece of a fuselage blew out over Portland. While the exact cause remains under investigation regulators said the aircraft, with proper inspection, is safe to fly.
The first 737 MAX 9 flight departed from Seattle to San Diego on Friday. The plane was part of the first fleet to have completed inspections after all 737 MAX 9s had been grounded since Jan. 5, after a door plug blew out minutes after takeoff from Portland. That forced Alaska Airlines Flight No. 1282 to make an emergency landing.
At Portland International Airport (PDX) Friday night, another 737 MAX 9 touched down from Las Vegas. Tom Coutts was on board.
“I did not know, but after I sat down, I saw the seat card that it was a 737 Max 9,” said Coutts. “I thought, 'Oh, okay, we're flying again.' I didn't think too much about it, actually.”
Other passengers like Robyn West, though, thought a lot about it after learning she was on board a 737 MAX 9.
“I would have asked to change to another flight,” said West. “I think they should have told us at least."
On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved an inspection and maintenance process for the planes, clearing the way for airlines to resume flying 737 MAX 9s. Even so, the incident aboard Alaska Airlines Flight No. 1282 remains a concern for many travelers.
“It was scary; that's for sure. I had a lot of anxiety when it first happened,” said Stephanie, a traveler who landed at PDX from Los Angeles Friday night.
Stephanie was not on board a 737 MAX 9 but said the events of Jan. 5 influenced how her family, including her 15-month-old son, travels.
“Instead of having him be a lap infant, we purchased another seat so that we could strap it to a car seat just because I was concerned about what could happen,” said Stephanie.
Alaska Airlines said inspections on all 65 of its MAX 9s should be completed by the end of next week, allowing the airline to resume its complete flight schedule. United Airlines plans to resume flights aboard MAX 9 jets on Sunday.