Washington State University personnel planning to travel in the coming days may face unexpected hurdles due to the grounding of Boeing 737-9 MAX jets as well as wintry conditions in certain regions.
An inflight blowout of a panel on the fuselage of a Boeing 737-9 MAX on Friday prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to ground 171 jets with similar panels. The groundings are affecting both United and Alaska Airlines, which according to the Associated Press are the only U.S. airlines that fly the affected aircraft.
On Monday, Boeing provided FAA-approved inspection details for the 737-9 MAX, with Alaska and United working with the federal agency to set up the inspection process. More than 300 flights between the two airlines have been cancelled as of Monday due to the grounding. WSU employees should continue to monitor updates provided by Alaska Airlines and United if they are preparing to travel in the coming days and weeks. Alaska Airlines is the only airline providing commercial service to Pullman Regional Airport.
Given recent snowfall across the region, it’s also advisable that personnel check the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Mountain passes and winter travel website for the latest information on road conditions. Much of the northeast was blanketed in snow in recent days, and current forecasts call for significant storms in the Midwest later this week, which could affect travel plans.
Human Resource Services also maintains an inclement weather website, which includes links to each campus’ alerts websites as well as FAQs on topics like suspended operations.