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FAA Inspections Forces Alaska to Cancel Flights

Joe Cortez December 28, 2023

Numerous travelers, from FlyerTalkers to a high school basketball team, were all affected when Alaska Airlines canceled 20 flights due to FAA required inspections.

While flight cancellations are an inevitability of flying, it’s rare when a Federal Aviation Administration inspection forces 20 Boeing 737 aircraft to go out of service at the same time.

The situation happened to Alaska Airlines, leaving one FlyerTalker happy to have a seat when the flights got cancelled.

Flights Cancelled Due to “Clarification Pending to a Inspection Requirement”

The cancelations began on Tuesday, December 26, 2023. In a post to the FlyerTalk forums, flyer navydevildoc reported being there when the FAA pulled the aircraft out of service.

“I’m sitting at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) waiting to head up to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA),” navydevildog writes. “The gate agent just came on and said: ‘The FAA has made us pull 20 aircraft out of service for inspections, and because of that, we are oversold by 15 seats. We will be denying boarding to many people….’ and then made the opening offer at $750.”

Enterprising FlyerTalkers were quick to discover several Boeing 737 aircraft were pulled from service, including the older airframes. While FlyerTalker isaacchambers counted the cancellations, FlyerTalker Resplendent found several tail numbers pulled from service.

On his flight up the coast, navydevildog said at least four people took the offer for the vouchers. By the time he was allowed to board, flight attendants were reportedly denying boarding to anyone without a confirmed seat assignment. However, the other passengers trying to get on his flight weren’t the only ones affected by the sudden change of plans.

Seattle CBS affiliate KIRO-TV reports a number of passengers across the West Coast were affected by the cancellations, including a girls high school basketball team flying to a national tournament in Phoenix. The cancellations caused them to forfeit a game, costing them the chance at winning the tournament. FlightAware notes a total of 40 flights were canceled between Tuesday, December 26, and Wednesday, December 27.

In a statement to KIRO, Alaska Airlines noted the issue was caused by a “clarification pertaining to an inspection requirement,” forcing the 20 aircraft to be pulled from service.

“Our maintenance teams were required to access the data plate information on specific parts, including part and serial numbers to validate compliance with a required inspection,” the statement reads. “Access to the data is restricted and accomplished using remote visual tools.”

Share your thoughts about the Alaska Airlines cancellations on the FlyerTalk Forums.