Alaska Airlines CEO apologizes to passengers over Boeing 737 Max 9 incident

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci apologized to passengers in a recent video published almost two weeks after the door plug on one of its flights blew off midflight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane. 

“I’m so incredibly grateful to the crew who responded with extraordinary professionalism and returned the flight and all aboard safely to Portland,” Minicucci said in a video posted to YouTube on Tuesday. “I sincerely apologize to everyone on board the flight for what you experienced.”

Shortly after the Jan. 5 incident, all of Boeing’s 737 Max 9 planes with door plugs were temporarily grounded nationwide, so federal regulators could inspect the planes and investigate what led to the incident. Both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board are simultaneously investigating what caused the door plug on the flight to blow out. 

BOEING TO ADD FURTHER QUALITY INSPECTIONS FOR 737 MAX

Since the grounding, Minicucci said the carrier has canceled between 110 and 150 flights per day since 20% of its fleet are 737 Max 9 planes.   

The chief executive said the planes will be returned to service “only when all findings have been fully resolved and meet the stringent standards of Boeing, the FAA and Alaska Airlines.” 

Minicucci said the carrier is trying to notify customers as soon as possible and also apologized to everyone whose travel plans have been impacted in the wake of the incident. 

FAA FINISHES 40 BOEING 737 MAX 9 INSPECTIONS, REVIEWING DATA

Last week, the FAA announced it was investigating Boeing to determine if the company failed to ensure that its products were safe for operation after the door plug blew out at 16,000 feet, forcing the California-bound flight to make an emergency landing back in Portland. 

The agency also announced it was investigating Boeing’s manufacturing practices and production lines, “including those involving subcontractor Spirit AeroSystems, bolstering its oversight of Boeing, and examining potential system change.” 

So far, the FAA has finished the first 40 inspections of the 737 Max 9 aircraft that have been grounded and is in the process of reviewing the data from them.