Alaska Airlines cancels more than 200 flights after FAA order
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The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes to run inspections.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - Alaska Airlines said it had cancelled 170 flights on Jan 7 and a further 60 on Jan 8, after the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered the grounding of 171 Boeing 737 Max 9 airplanes to run inspections.
The airline said cancellations would continue through the first half of the week.
The cancellations on Jan 7 affected nearly 25,000 passengers, added the Seattle-based carrier, which has 65 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft in its fleet.
The FAA on Jan 6 ordered the temporary grounding of 171 Boeing jets installed with the same panel after an eight-week-old Alaska Airlines jet was forced to make an emergency landing with a gap in the fuselage
The door plug tore off the left side of the jet following take-off from Portland, Oregon, en route to Ontario, California.
It forced the plane’s pilots to turn back and land safely with all 171 passengers and six crew on board.
“They will remain grounded until the FAA is satisfied that they are safe,” the agency said of the affected 737 MAX 9 jets in a statement on Jan 7. REUTERS
