FAA Imposes Grounding on All Alaska Airlines Amid Technical Glitch

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

FAA halts all Alaska Airlines flights due to a technical glitch during a system upgrade, significantly disrupting travel plans and schedules.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ended the temporary suspension of all Alaska Airlines flights, initially imposed on Wednesday when the airline encountered technical difficulties during a computer system upgrade.

The grounding, affecting both Alaska and Horizon flights, was prompted by problems during an update to the software responsible for calculating aircraft weight and balance, according to the Seattle-based airline. The FAA had initially implemented the grounding at around 10:50 am ET, and it was subsequently lifted just before 11:45 am ET.

SkyWest flights, which also operate regional routes for Alaska Airlines, were not included in the grounding. The exact number of impacted flights remains undisclosed. Alaska Airlines has apologized for the disruption and advised passengers to verify their flight statuses through its website or mobile app before traveling to the airport. The airline operates a fleet of 231 Boeing 737s and 83 Embraer 175s.

Earlier in the year, a significant incident involving a door panel detaching from a 737 Max 9 shortly after departure led Alaska Airlines to cancel numerous flights. The mishap, which resulted in injuries to several passengers, led to a grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9s and triggered investigations by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board into both the aircraft manufacturer and Spirit AeroSystems, the producer of the faulty door panel.

Subsequent findings indicated the aircraft was missing essential bolts needed to secure the door panel at the time of manufacture. In the wake of this incident, both Alaska and United Airlines discovered loose bolts on some of their 737 Max 9 planes. Additionally, three passengers from the affected flight sued Boeing for $1 billion, alleging negligence by the manufacturer in early January.

In March, the FAA reported Boeing’s failure to adhere to manufacturing quality control standards. Another review highlighted concerns regarding the willingness of staff to report safety issues.

“Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,” said FAA administrator Mike Whitaker. “Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing’s leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.”

Boeing CEO David Calhoun has said that the company “will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Whitaker and the FAA demand”.

The National Transportation Safety Board is still conducting its investigation into the matter.

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