Alaska Airlines cancels all 737-9 MAX flights through Saturday

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - Alaska Airlines announced Wednesday it will cancel all flights involving Boeing 737 MAX 9 planes until Saturday.

The announcement comes as the airline awaits documentation from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to facilitate inspections of its 737-9 MAX fleet, following a cabin panel blowout incident last Friday.

"As of this morning, we have made the decision to cancel all flights on 737-9 MAX aircraft through Saturday, Jan. 13 while we conduct inspections and prepare fully for return to service," the airline said in a statement.

"This equates to between 110-150 flights per day. We hope this action provides guests with a little more certainty, and we are working around the clock to reaccommodate impacted guests on other flights," it added.

US authorities issued a temporary grounding Saturday for 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft to conduct safety inspections, following the midair incident that led to an emergency landing with passengers onboard above the US state of Oregon.

"We regret the significant disruption that has been caused for our guests by cancellations due to these aircraft being out of service," the company added.