About 170 Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners exploded in mid-air minutes after takeoff from Portland, Oregon on January 5, the Federal Aviation Administration said. It grounded the plane and hurt the airlines it depended on. Airline operations have increased significantly, with thousands of flights being canceled and causing inconvenience to many passengers.
On Wednesday, the FAA approved inspection and maintenance procedures for the plane, paving the way for grounded Max 9s to fly again.
Airlines say they plan to resume flying the Max 9 this week, and Alaska Airlines resumed flying the plane from Seattle to San Diego on Friday. Here’s what passengers need to know about flying and their rights if they want to avoid flying.
Which airlines are using Max 9?
According to aviation data provider Cirium, of the 215 Boeing Max 9s flying around the world, United Airlines flies 79 of them, the most of all airlines, with 65 in Alaska. There is. The companies’ combined fleet accounts for about 70% of the Max 9 jets in service.
Other airlines using the Max 9 include Panama’s Copa Airlines, Aeromexico, Turkish Airlines, flydubai and Icelandair.
Airlines in general Share more information The website lists all of the aircraft in its fleet.
When will airlines resume flying the Max 9?
alaska stated in a statement Final inspections are underway, which can take up to 12 hours for each plane. The airline said it plans to return the “first few planes” to regular service on Friday.
United Airlines said in a statement that it is preparing its Max 9 planes to resume service on Sunday. But United Airlines spokesman Josh Fried said the plane “could be used as a backup” as early as this Friday.
Copa Airlines, which grounded 21 Max 9 planes, said in a statement it would “phasedly resume previously canceled flights” starting Thursday and return to a full schedule on Sunday.
How can I check if I’m booked with Max 9?
When booking a flight online, travelers can typically find information about the type of plane during the seat selection process or elsewhere on the airline’s website.
Passengers may also be able to view the aircraft type in the booking details of the airline’s mobile app after booking. For Alaska, this is available in the “Details” section of the app. Flight tracking websites such as FlightAware also display information about planes when users search for a specific flight using the flight number.
However, this is not a guarantee. Even if passengers know in advance which plane they will be on, it can always change. Airlines swap aircraft at the last minute depending on factors such as weather and logistics.
What if I don’t want to fly with Max 9?
United Airlines and Alaska Airlines have issued flight waivers to allow passengers to cancel or change their flights without incurring fees due to Max 9 testing. Alaska exemption “Then call our reservations team and we’ll put you on another flight at no additional charge. Prices include saver fares,” an Alaska spokesperson said.
United Airlines’ exemption applies to flights through January 28th.
Airlines have different policies regarding cancellation and refunds. Policies vary depending on factors such as when you book, how far in advance you cancel, and the type of fare you purchase. Once the Max 9 waiver expires, passengers will no longer have the same right to rebook or receive a refund without penalty for flights they choose to cancel themselves.
For future bookings, Kayak has created a new filter that excludes Max 9 flights. In that case, you’ll often end up booking on an airline that doesn’t fly. However, on certain routes with a limited number of airlines, that may not be an option. For example, Alaska Airlines is the only airline to fly nonstop between Anchorage and Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii. The airline frequently used Max 9s on this route; According to FlightAwarea flight tracking website.
But experts suggest it may not make sense to avoid planes that undergo rigorous testing.
Aviation analyst Robert W. Mann Jr. said, “It’s not clear or rational why someone would avoid an aircraft that has recently been inspected in the sky.” He emphasized that the plane resumed flying several years after the crash.
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