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Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has not received a new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft since the door plug incident involving its MAX 9 in January 2024. The airline returned the affected plane, registration N704AL, to Boeing and expects to replace it with the larger Boeing 737 MAX 10, which is still awaiting certification.
The door plug on flight AS1282 blew out shortly after takeoff from Portland International Airport on January 5, 2024. The aircraft had logged about 510 hours over 154 flights. There were no fatalities among the 171 passengers and six crew members onboard; three people sustained minor injuries treated after landing. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that the door plug had been installed without bolts before delivery from Boeing. The component was manufactured by Spirit AeroSystems in Malaysia, sent to their Wichita facility for assembly, and then delivered to Boeing. Damaged rivets were discovered near the door plugs when it arrived at Boeing; after repairs, the plug was reinstalled but not bolted in place.
Following this incident, Alaska Airlines grounded its entire MAX 9 fleet overnight while awaiting inspection results. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) then issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive grounding all MAX 9s fitted with a mid-cabin door plug until inspections could be completed and corrective actions taken if necessary. This directive also impacted United Airlines and Copa Airlines operating similar aircraft in the United States.
