SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft is causing travel delays and cancellations at the San Diego International Airport.
Trevor Thomas and his son spent the weekend in San Diego for a lacrosse tournament. They were supposed to be back home in Seattle by Monday afternoon.
"Obviously, with the whole Boeing issue, it got canceled to reschedule on a couple of different flights," said Thomas.
Alaska and United Airlines grounded all their Boeing 737 Max 9s, roughly 120 planes. The FAA ordered the aircraft out of service after the terrifying mid-air emergency on board an Alaska flight from Portland, Oregon, to Ontario, CA late Friday. The pilot made an emergency landing when a door plug covering an unused emergency exit blew off the plane, leaving a gaping hole.
"It was crazy. You never expect to see something like that happen in real life. I told my kids, this is why you stay buckled up," said Shelby Young, who is also in San Diego for a sports tournament with her daughter.
As of Monday morning, United had canceled roughly 200 flights. Alaska had canceled approximately 140 flights.
The disruptions are expected to last through at least midweek. Even travelers welcome the inspections despite the inconvenience.
"You can't be too careful with air travel. I think it's a smart decision even if we're impacted, safety first," said Thomas.
