"Alaska Airlines Grapples with Boeing 737 MAX 9 Grounding and Flight Cancellations"

Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci announced that 110-150 flights will be unavailable due to mandatory inspections of their 737-9 MAX aircraft, impacting about 20% of the total fleet. The FAA is investigating the recent in-flight blowout of a door plug and the manufacturing practices of Boeing aircraft. Travelers, including Adriene Smith and the Adams couple, experienced flight delays and cancellations, leading to inconvenience and stress. Alaska Airlines is offering a flexible travel policy for affected passengers.