Alaska Airlines says it found many loose bolts on its Boeing 737 Max 9s

Enlarge / The missing emergency door of Alaska Airlines N704AL, a 737 Max 9, which made an emergency landing at Portland International Airport on January 5 is covered and taped, in Portland, Oregon on January 23, 2024. (credit: PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Inspections of Alaska Airlines' fleet of Boeing 737 Max 9s has turned up "many" loose bolts, according to CEO Ben Minicucci. "I'm more than frustrated and disappointed," he told NBC News, "I am angry. This happened to Alaska Airlines. It happened to our guests and happened to our people."

The inspections follow a near-disaster on Alaska Airlines flight 1282 on January 5 of this year, when a blanking plate blew off the 737 Max 9 aircraft mid-flight. The loss of the blanking plate resulted in a rapid decompression of the plane, but fortunately did not result in loss of control of the aircraft or any physical injuries to passengers or crew.

The following day, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive that has grounded all 737 Max 9s fitted with mid-cabin door plugs—other specifications of the plane use actual doors at that location in order to allow for more passengers in the cabin.