Alaska Airlines replaces damaged plane with new order after receiving $200M compensation

As detailed by ch-aviation using its fleet module, Alaska Airlines placed a firm order for 45 Boeing 737 MAX 10s in 2021 and 2022. The airline also has firm orders for 20 MAX 8 variants, of which it has received four, and 82 MAX 9 variants, of which it has received seventy. With one MAX 9 gone, it now has sixty-nine of this type.

The January incident on Alaska Airlines flight AS1282 proved pivotal, putting Boeing under intense scrutiny from all quarters. Alaska Airlines received $162 million compensation from Boeing earlier this year for losses resulting from the January mid-exit door plug blowout. The incident saw the carrier ground its entire MAX 9 fleet temporarily, affecting its operations.

In May, the carrier received a $61 million Boeing credit, bringing total compensation paid to $223 million. Alaska stated in its quarterly report that this credit would be used to purchase Boeing products in the future.

United Airlines, another major operator of Boeing's aircraft, also suffered immensely from grounding their fleet and lost an estimated $200 million. In April, United struck a deal with Boeing for compensation; however, details were not revealed beyond stating that compensation would come as “credit memos for use on future purchases from Boeing.”

Boeing's production practices have been scrutinized since two fatal crashes involving their aircraft: Lion Air Flight 610 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on March 10, 2019. These accidents led to a global grounding of their fleet until software changes were introduced nearly two years later.

However, January's Alaska Airlines incident suggested deeper issues within Boeing's processes than previously anticipated. The FAA imposed stricter oversight and capped monthly production of these aircraft at thirty-eight units. This period also saw significant changes within top management at Boeing.

Recently Elizabeth Lund, senior vice president of quality at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), explained why the Alaska Airlines incident happened and shared plans to make their assembly line safer and more focused on quality.

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