Airline Executive Sits Near Power Outlet on Maiden Voyage of Boeing 737 Max 9, Resuming Operations After a Three-Week Hiatus
The Boeing 737 MAX 9 has resumed commercial flights after a grounding by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) following safety concerns. The first revenue flight for the model took place on Friday, with Alaska Airlines leading the way.
The flight, Alaska Airlines Flight 1146, departed from Seattle at 3:51 pm local time (6:51 pm ET), bound for San Diego. Constance von Muehlen, the airline's COO, accompanied the flight as a show of confidence in the aircraft's safety.
Von Muehlen took a seat next to the door plug to emphasize her trust in the plane, a move aimed at reassuring passengers and the public. The grounding was due to a door plug blowout incident on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
Airlines like American Airlines and Gol were among the first to resume passenger flights after the FAA cleared the MAX fleet to resume flying on November 18, 2020. Other global regulators, including Canada, EASA, UAE, Australia, Kenya, Brazil, India, and China, eventually cleared the aircraft under various additional conditions.
The return to service has been accompanied by comprehensive safety modifications mandated by the FAA and other regulators. Key updates include mandatory software updates to address issues linked to the previous MCAS system, specific repairs as outlined in FAA airworthiness directives, and approval and enhancement of airline training programs to familiarize pilots with the updated systems and procedures.
Continued operational restrictions by EASA, such as prohibiting RNP AR approaches with the MAX, are also in place. Passenger reactions have been mixed. Some booking platforms have implemented options to filter out 737 MAX flights, reflecting ongoing passenger hesitance.
However, some passengers, like Doug Bowman, who had important engagements in San Diego, chose to take the Max 9 flight. Sarah Edgbert, initially anxious, later stated that she realized it's probably the safest plane out there right now, as it has been through lots of tests since the grounding.
Kent, a passenger on Flight N929AK, expressed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max 9 model. Despite these concerns, deliveries and operations have increased steadily, with Boeing reporting growing stability and momentum in 737 MAX production and delivery—in Q2 2025, 150 aircraft were delivered versus 92 the prior year.
The grounding led to numerous daily flight cancellations for both Alaska and United Airlines. However, cleared Max 9s are available as spares for both airlines in the meantime. Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci anticipates a return to full capacity once the Max 9 is back in service.
Additional incidents after the return to service have occurred, such as the mid-cabin door plug blowout on a 737 MAX 9 in January 2024, attributed by the NTSB to Boeing's inadequate factory worker training and oversight. This incident led to FAA-imposed production caps and further scrutiny on manufacturing processes. Boeing is actively addressing such issues to stabilize operations.
In summary, the 737 MAX 9's return to service has been accompanied by comprehensive safety modifications mandated by the FAA and other regulators, reinforced pilot training, and ongoing measures to restore passenger confidence, though some challenges remain related to manufacturing quality control and passenger perception.
- Despite initial concerns and an incident involving a door plug blowout, various airlines like American Airlines, Gol, and Alaska Airlines have resumed passenger flights on the 737 MAX 9 following the FAA's clearance.
- In the aerospace and finance industries, the resumption of commercial flights for the 737 MAX 9 has led to increased deliveries and operations by Boeing, showing signs of stability and momentum in the transportation sector.
