Airline News

Following the recent incident involving an Alaska Airlines flight, where a door plug flew off a Boeing 737-9 Max, travel search engine Kayak has observed a significant surge in the usage of its aircraft filter. The platform reported a 15-fold increase in travelers using the filter to identify the type of aircraft before booking their flights.

United Airlines has found installation defects in the door plugs of its Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets, including loose bolts. This discovery comes after United grounded its MAX 9 fleet following a decompression accident aboard an Alaska Airlines flight, which involved a door plug being blown away from the aircraft body during ascent.

Federal officials have mandated the immediate grounding of Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners for inspections following an incident where an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout, leaving a gaping hole in the fuselage. The required inspections, taking approximately four to eight hours per aircraft, affect about 171 airplanes worldwide. As of Saturday morning, more than a quarter of the fleet had been inspected with no concerning findings reported.

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, en route from Portland to California, was forced to make an abrupt turnaround on Friday afternoon due to a depressurization issue. This emergency situation occurred after a window and part of the fuselage appeared to tear off the aircraft, a Boeing 737-9 MAX.

In response to this alarming incident, Alaska Airlines has temporarily grounded its entire fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 MAX planes to conduct comprehensive safety and maintenance inspections.

Boeing has issued a recommendation to operators of its 737 Max airplanes to inspect for a loose bolt in the rudder control system. This advisory comes after an unnamed airline discovered a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance of a 737. Additionally, Boeing found a similar issue in an undelivered 737 Max, where a nut was not properly tightened.

United Airlines has officially commenced service with its first Airbus A321neo, marking a significant addition to its fleet. The inaugural flight took off last Thursday from Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport to Chicago O'Hare. For now, the aircraft will operate routes between O'Hare and Phoenix, as well as between O'Hare and Fort Lauderdale.

United has placed firm orders for 130 A321neos, with 30 expected to be delivered by the end of the next year. The airline's configuration for these planes includes 20 first-class seats, 57 Economy Plus seats, and 123 economy seats.

Alaska Air Group has announced a significant acquisition, agreeing to buy Hawaiian Airlines in a deal valued at $1.9 billion, including debt. This strategic move will see the combined entity retaining both airlines' distinct brands, deeply rooted in the U.S.'s 49th and 50th states.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alaska will pay $18 in cash for each share of Hawaiian, a notable increase from Hawaiian's closing stock price of $4.86 on Friday. The deal also encompasses $900 million in Hawaiian debt, bringing the total value of the acquisition to $1.9 billion.

Clear, the registered travel program, is set to enhance airport security by implementing facial recognition technology across its lanes during 2024. This initiative, named NextGen Identity+, will replace Clear's existing biometric identification system that currently uses iris and fingerprint scans. The transition to facial recognition comes amid political scrutiny following three security breaches involving Clear.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), representing American Airlines flight attendants, has requested to be released from further bargaining obligations with the airline. This move could lead to a strike if the National Mediation Board grants the request, initiating a 30-day cooling-down period as per the Railway Labor Act, which governs labor relations in the airline industry.

United Airlines has announced a significant investment of over $1.9 billion in its hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport's Terminal B. This investment is complemented by an additional $624 million from the Houston Airport System. The extensive renovation plan for Terminal B includes the construction of 40 new gates for both domestic and international flights, enhanced curbside and roadway facilities, an expanded ticketing lobby, and a more efficient security area.