(NewsNation) — Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft started flying again over the weekend after being grounded in early January after a door panel blew out of the side of one plane during an Alaska Airlines flight.
Alaska Airlines resumed commercial flights on the Boeing 737 Max 9 on Friday afternoon, NewsNation partner The Hill reported, with a flight from Seattle, Washington, to San Diego, California. United Airlines began flying Boeing 737s again on Saturday.
Planes will only return to the skies, Alaska Airlines said, after “rigorous inspections are completed and each plane is deemed airworthy according to (Federal Aviation Administration) requirements.” United CEO Scott Kirby said on LinkedIn that they will work closely with Boeing and the FAA to make sure its fleet is reliable and safe.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said in a statement last Wednesday that the agency will not agree to any requests from Boeing for an expansion in production, or approve any additional 737 Max production lines, until they are satisfied that quality control issues are resolved.
However, some people still aren’t too keen on riding the Boeing 737 Max 9s.
By booking online, they might not have to.
Kayak, a travel booking website, touts a feature allowing people to filter out certain aircraft models when trying to find flights.
A Kayak spokesperson told NewsNation that the website saw a “15X increase” in use of the filter between Saturday, Jan. 6 (the day after the door plug blew out) and Thursday, Jan. 11.
Because of this “spike in usage,” Kayak moved its filter up, making it “more prominent” for travelers when they’re searching for flights. In addition, the spokesperson said, the company gave users the ability to filter specifically by the 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft models.
“KAYAK makes it easy for concerned travelers to avoid 737Max flights,” Steve Hafner, KAYAK CEO, said in a statement, though he cautions that “airlines do often substitute equipment — so travelers should double check before departure.”
The feature was first introduced by Kayak in 2019 after an Ethiopian Airlines crash involving the Boeing 737 Max 8 that killed 157, according to Business Insider. A representative for Kayak Boeing told the publication back then that the company had gotten requests to make the filters more “granular.”
Google Flights will also let people see what kind of model the plane on their selected flight is, among other information. For instance, it shows a Boeing 757 will be used for a United flight from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles, California on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Boeing’s CEO said after the door plug incident the company acknowledges its mistakes, and is working with authorities as they investigate exactly what happened, telling employees at a meeting Jan. 9 “this can never happen again.”
“We’re starting from a very anxious moment with our customers,” Calhoun said. “We have to deal with that reality.”
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stan Deal reiterated this sentiment Friday, saying in a message to employees that “we have disappointed” customers, regulators and “the flying public.”
“We are deeply sorry for the significant disruption and frustration for our customers, some of whom have been publicly and unfairly criticized,” he wrote. “Over the last century, the people of Boeing have faced and overcome significant challenges. This is one of those times. We have to be better. We have to deliver perfect airplanes every time.”
NewsNation business contributor Gary Smith said at this time, Boeing needs to take a “forceful stance” in saying it will fix the company’s issues— although he added most consumers likely don’t look at carriers before booking a flight.
“Whether good or bad, the public has a very short-term memory,” Smith said on “Morning in America.” “Just like you’ve seen past problems with big companies, the public moves on.”
