On Friday night, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, en route from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California had to make an emergency landing at Portland International Airport. This occurred after a significant portion of the aircraft blew out while airborne, according to reports from the multiple media outlets.
The aircraft, carrying 171 guests and 6 crew members, landed safely back at Portland International Airport.
In a statement released at 11:42 p.m. Pacific time, Alaska Airlines CEO, Ben Minicucci, announced that the airline has decided to take the precautionary step of temporarily grounding its fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9 aircraft. Each aircraft will be returned to service only after completion of full maintenance and safety inspections.
“We anticipate all inspections will be completed in the next few days,” said Minicucci. “I am personally committed to doing everything we can to conduct this review in a timely and transparent way.”
Alaska Airlines is working with Boeing and regulators to understand what occurred during the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the event, and Alaska Airlines has pledged to fully support their investigation.
Minicucci expressed his sympathy for those affected by the incident, stating, “My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced. I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants. We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and are working to support guests who are traveling in the days ahead.”
Guests whose flights have been impacted by this grounding are being notified with guidance on next steps. They are also encouraged to visit alaskaair.com for self-service options. The airline deeply apologizes to its guests and is working to reaccommodate everyone as quickly as possible.
A global media for the latest news, entertainment, music fashion, and more.
