Alaska Airlines to return grounding 737 MAX 9 to service

Alaska Airlines on Friday announced the plan of returning 737 MAX 9 jets to flight for the first time since an accident on January 5.

The planes were grounded after the midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines jet, which forced the company to cancel hundreds of flights each day.

The US Federal Aviation Administration announced Wednesday it approved detailed inspection measures for air carriers that fly Boeing MAX 9s, clearing the way for Alaska and United Airlines to get their MAX 9 fleets back in the air.

After the FAA's approval of inspection measures, Alaska began inspecting its fleet of 65 MAX 9s and announced the first few planes would return to service Friday.

Alaska's first MAX 9 flight on the aircraft since the blowout will travel from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to San Diego International Airport and is scheduled to depart at 2:20pm Friday, according to Alaska's website.

More planes will be "added every day as inspections are completed and each aircraft is deemed airworthy," the airline said.

United Airlines said it will begin returning its 79 Boeing MAX 9s aircraft to service on January 28.