SEATTLE — Ticket agents at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) were busy Friday as groundings of Boeing's 737 Max 9 planes coincided with issues caused by winter weather. It comes as Alaska Airlines extends the cancellation of all flights aboard 737 Max 9 aircraft through Tuesday, impacting more passengers.
As of Friday, Alaska Airlines said it is still waiting for instructions from Boeing and the FAA to inspect its fleet. The airline wrote in a statement that it regrets the disruption, but "the safety of our employees and guests is our highest priority and we will only return these aircraft to service when all findings have been fully resolved and meet all FAA and Alaska’s stringent standards. "
The airline says it needs a final "Multi-Operator Message" from Boeing, a "Method of Compliance" published by the FAA, and detailed inspection instructions and processes for technicians before inspections can be completed.
Cancellations include 152 flights system-wide Friday, 109 on Saturday and 165 on Sunday, with some flights being covered by the airline's existing fleet, including 737-800s and 737-900s. Information about reimbursements can be found here.
Alaska Airlines has 231 total 737 aircraft in its fleet, and of those, 65 are 737 Max 9s.
Through Sunday, Jan. 14, Alaska Airlines said nearly 5,000 people will fly on 90 flights to destinations on Horizon jets, Alaska's regional carrier, instead of on a 737 Max 9 aircraft as originally scheduled.
Both Alaska Airlines and United Airlines have flexible travel policies in place for impacted flights so people can rebook or cancel ahead of time at no cost if they choose to do so.