Alaska Airlines begins flying Boeing 737 Max jets again

Airline resumes service after months-long grounding

FAA clears planes to fly despite safety concerns

Alaska Airlines has begun flying Boeing 737 Max jetliners again Friday Jan 26 for the first time since they were grounded after a panel blew out of an aircraft's fuselage mid-flight, nearly causing a catastrophic decompression event.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cleared the planes to return to service in November, despite ongoing safety concerns. The FAA's decision was based on a review of Boeing's proposed design changes and a series of test flights.

However, some experts have questioned the FAA's decision, arguing that the agency has not done enough to ensure the safety of the 737 Max. They point to the fact that the FAA has not yet completed its own review of Boeing's design changes, and that the agency has not required Boeing to conduct additional testing.