Alaska Airlines initiates preliminary inspections on group of 737-9 MAX aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is demanding further data from Boeing before granting approval for the manufacturer’s proposed inspection and maintenance procedures, which are essential for conducting final inspections on all 737-9 MAX planes and ensuring their safe return to service. As many as 20 of Alaska’s aircraft may undergo these preliminary inspections.

Boeing’s leadership has publicly acknowledged this incident as a “quality escape.” Last week, Alaska held discussions with Boeing’s CEO and leadership team to address their plans for improving quality and ensuring the delivery of high-quality aircraft for Alaska.

Alaska said it appreciates the FAA’s recent announcement regarding its intentions to audit and review safety processes within the production of 737-9 MAX aircraft, both at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, Boeing’s supplier responsible for building the fuselage of these planes.

In addition to the FAA’s review and oversight, Alaska Airlines is taking steps to enhance its own quality control measures in aircraft production:

The company’s quality and audit team has initiated a comprehensive evaluation of Boeing’s production quality and control systems, including its vendor oversight.

Alaska will collaborate with its maintenance team to develop improved processes for its own quality control during aircraft production at Boeing.

Starting this week, Alaska will strengthen its internal quality oversight for Alaska aircraft on the Boeing production line, bolstering its team with experienced professionals to validate work and maintain quality standards on the Boeing 737 production line.

Alaska Airlines temporarily grounded its fleet of 65 737-9 MAXs after a door plug detached during flight 1282 from Portland, OR to Ontario, CA. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) assumed the lead role in the investigation of the incident, with the support of Alaska’s safety and technical teams and Boeing representatives.