One year since the dramatic door blowout onboard an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9, public opinion on the aircraft is still divided, according to a report from Komo News. While many passengers would have no qualms about flying on the 737 MAX 9, others are more wary, citing safety concerns.

Flight 1282 – what happened?

Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was a regularly scheduled service from Portland International Airport (PDX) to Ontario International Airport (ONT) on January 5th, 2024. During the flight, a door plug blew out on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 that was operating Flight 1282 that day. The aircraft, registered as N704AL, was just two months old at the time of the incident.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 taking off

Photo: Ross Howey Photo | Shutterstock

All 171 passengers and six crew members survived the incident, although some were quite shaken following the experience. However, the incident threw Boeing and its 737 MAX aircraft into the spotlight once more.

Since then, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been keeping a close eye on the situation, putting the manufacturer under enhanced oversight. This included measures such as capping 737 MAX production levels, putting more inspectors on the factory floor, auditing production lines, and requesting a comprehensive safety and quality control plan from Boeing.

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The FAA’s Enhanced Oversight Of Boeing Will Not Be Going Away Anytime Soon

FAA chief Mike Whitaker said its oversight of Boeing is “not a one-year project”.

Public opinion remains divided

In response to the FAA’s recommendations, Boeing has taken a number of steps to improve its processes, and maintains that its aircraft are safe to fly. However, one year on from the Alaska Airlines incident, public opinion on the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX 9 remains divided, although a report from Komo News suggests that the majority of people would be happy to travel on the aircraft.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

According to the news outlet, one traveler, Brian Jones, expressed confidence in Boeing’s efforts, saying,

“I think it’s very beneficial for the public at large because they’re such a huge company. They’re sort of the anchor of our aerospace industry, but they’re also a major contractor for the military and NASA, so we really need companies like that to be product-driven and to be results-oriented. Every time I get on the plane, but every time I get in a car, there’s safety concerns, or when I get on a train, there’s safety concerns. It’s just about making calculated risks in life.”

Another traveler, John Wilson, said, “I feel like it’s probably more safe now that the incident happened unfortunately I don’t really have concerns about safety when I fly now.” However, Lauren Waters said, “I heard they fixed the planes so it made me feel a little bit safer but I’m still a bit nervous that something bad could happen.”

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Alaska Airlines Flight 1282: A Cabin Crew Perspective

The unexpected happened, within seconds.

Boeing 737 MAX door plugs

The door plug on the Boeing 737 MAX 9 is in place on aircraft with a configuration of fewer than 189 passengers, such as those flown by Alaska Airlines, which are equipped with 178 seats in a three-class configuration – 16 in business class, 24 in premium economy, and 138 in economy class.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9

Photo: Alaska Airlines

Meanwhile, on 737 MAX 9s with more than 189 seats, such as those operated by the likes of Lion Air (which has a total of 220 seats), the door is operational to speed up any emergency evacuation, in line with safety regulations.

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The manufacturer has emphasized quality and safety during the restart of the 737 MAX production.

With a total of 72 Boeing 737 MAX 9s in its fleet and a further 8 on order, Alaska Airlines is one of the world’s largest operators of the aircraft, along with United Airlines, which currently operates 85 737 MAX 9s and has a further 138 on order.

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