Alaska Airlines said Monday it is not currently operating any of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets under scrutiny after deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. “At this time we do not have any MAX aircraft in our fleet,” the company said in a statement emailed in response to questions. Alaska does have some of the MAX series planes on order, though, and plans to start using them this summer. “Our first MAX delivery is planned for June, and it’s too early to speculate on future deliveries,” the company said. “We are committed to the ensuring the safety of our guests and employees.” Alaska Airlines, headquartered in Seattle, is a dominant major airline flying to and from Alaska. On Sunday, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airways crashed, killing all 157 people aboard. It was the second time one of the new Boeing planes has crashed shortly after takeoff in the past six months. In October, a Lion Air flight crashed after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 189. Both planes were flying brand-new or nearly new MAX 8 jets, Boeing’s newest update of its best-selling 737 series. Now some airlines -- including China Air -- are grounding the aircraft. Many American airlines, including American Air and Southwest Air, operate Boeing 737 MAX 8s and have said they have no plans to ground their fleets. Back in 2012, Alaska Airlines placed an order for 20 737 MAX 8s and 17 737 MAX 9s along with other aircraft, according to Boeing. The $5 billion order was “the largest in Alaska Airlines’ history,” according to the Seattle-based aerospace company. Alaska later converted all of its orders to the 737 MAX 9 model, according to the industry publication Airliner Watch. Those planes are supposed to start being delivered later this year and flying passengers soon after, the company said. It’s not clear whether the MAX planes would be used on routes to and from Alaska or within the state. The company also did not answer questions about how pilots are being trained to operate a software update to the flight control system. Confusion over changes to the system has been identified as a possible contributing factor in at least the Lion Air crash.<doc-sep>Southwest and American airlines, the biggest U.S. operators of the Boeing 737 Max 8, say they stand by the new plane despite two fatal crashes in less than five months. Their continued support comes as more of the new planes are being grounded by other airlines and aviation authorities. Ethiopian Airlines grounded its four remaining 737 Max 8s until further notice "as an extra safety precaution'' in the wake of the crash and Cayman Airways said it was temporarily grounded its two Max 8s. In addition, China and Indonesia ordered airlines there to ground the plane. And it comes despite a barrage of questions and concerns from worried passengers since the Sunday crash. A California woman with tickets on Southwest Airlines to Portland, Oregon, in May asked the airline on Twitter how she can find out what type of plane will be used on the route. "I don't want to be on a Boeing Max 8,'' she said. More:Boeing 737 Max: What you should know if you're booked on a flight A passenger who recently purchased tickets on Southwest had similar concerns, telling the airline on Twitter that nobody in the family wants to fly the Boeing 737 Max. Southwest has a variety of responses to concerned travelers, but they all make the same general point: We're standing by the plane. "We remain confident in the safety of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft,'' the airline said in one response Monday morning. "Southwest has operated approximately 31,000 flights utilizing the Boeing 737 Max, and we plan on operating those aircraft going forward.'' Southwest Airlines has 34 175-seat Max 8s in its fleet and plans to more than double that number this year as well as add its first Boeing Max 7s. Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said the airline is in contact with Boeing and will stay close to the investigation as it progresses. "We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft,'' he said. More: "A punch in the nose for Boeing'' Photos:157 dead in Ethiopian Airlines plane crash Southwest is telling passengers who ask how they can find out what type of plane they are due to fly to check back a day before their trip to see the type of aircraft as they aren't assigned far in advance. American, which has 24 Max 8s in its fleet of nearly 1,000 planes, is also standing by the Max 8. The airline is telling travelers who raise questions about it on Twitter that it has "full confidence'' in the aircraft and the ability of its flight crews. The airline is also getting questions about whether it's going to ground its fleet. Its response: "We will closely monitor the (crash) investigation via Boeing and the National Transportation Safety Board.'' American is not allowing travelers concerned about the plane to change their travel plans without penalty, as it does ahead of winter storms and other major flight disruptions. One New York traveler, posting on Twitter, called it a "customer service failure,'' especially since other airlines are grounding the plane. Southwest hasn't changed its policies either, Mainz said. Unlike its competitors, Southwest does not charge a ticket change fee. However, passengers have to pay the prevailing fare at the time they change their ticket, which usually means paying more money unless it was a last-minute ticket purchase. United Airlines doesn't operate the Max 8 but it does have 14 Max 9s. It is telling passengers on Twitter that it will try to find alternative travel arrangements for those who prefer not to fly it.<doc-sep>Text size Airline stocks are taking a beating. The stocks of Alaska Air Group (ALK), American Airlines (AAL), United Continental (UAL), and Southwest Airlines (LUV) were all down more than 2% Tuesday after the tragic crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8. But are all airlines exposed to the aircraft, which has seen two deadly crashes in five months? Here’s what you need to know. The back story. The crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 killed 157 people, and Boeing stock (BA) has taken the brunt of the market reaction. Its shares have dropped 11% during the past two days. But after one day of being out of the market spotlight, airline stocks are falling as reports emerge of flight attendants asking the FAA to investigate the planes, and customers trying to avoid them. What’s new. The market is trying to answer this question itself. Delta Air Lines stock (DAL) has advanced 0.3% to $51.25, while JetBlue Airways stock (JBLU) has risen 0.5% to $16.59. In these cases, the market is not wrong. Neither airline is scheduled to fly the 737 MAX 8 over the next six months, writes Cowen analyst Helane Becker. Other airlines with no exposure to the 737 MAX 8 include Hawaiian Holdings (HA), Spirit Airlines (SAVE), Allegiant Travel (ALGT), Mesa Air Group (MESA), and Skywest (SKYW)—though that hasn’t stopped all except for Hawaiian stock from declining Tuesday. These airlines do use the 737 MAX, according to Becker: WestJet Southwest Airlines: 8.8% of available seat miles are estimated to occur on the 737 MAX in 2019. Its stock has dropped 2.3% to $50.46. Air Canada American Airlines: 1.8% of available seat miles—an industry metric computed by multiplying the number of seats available by miles flown—are expected to occur on the 737 MAX in 2019. Its stock is down 2.3% at $31.30. United: 1.6% of available seat miles are set to occur on the 737 MAX. Its stock has dropped 2.3% to $80.45. Alaska Air: 0.1% of available seat miles are set to occur on the 737 MAX. Its stock is down 2.2% at $54.21. Looking ahead. Becker expects larger companies to be able to adjust even if the airplanes are grounded by the FAA. “Given the size of the American, United and Southwest fleets we expect those companies to have little issues adjusting schedules and back filling aircraft with the B737-800s,” Becker writes. This too shall pass. Write to Ben Levisohn at Ben.Levisohn@barrons.com<doc-sep>
An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max-8, traveling from Miami to New York City, lands at LaGuardia Airport on March 11, 2019 Photo : Getty Images The Boeing 737 Max-8 is one of the newest commercial airplanes in the sky. But after yesterday’s crash that killed 157 people in Ethiopia, it’s already involved in two of the deadliest crashes of the past few years. Sadly, another Boeing 737 Max-8 crashed in Indonesia this past October, killing 189 people. China and Indonesia have grounded all of their Max-8 planes, but the two U.S.-based carriers that operate the Max-8, American Airlines and Southwest Air, have no plans to stop using the aircraft. No other U.S.-based airline currently has the Max-8. “Our heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the passengers and Employees on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” a spokesperson for Southwest said in an email to Gizmodo. “We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft.” Southwest has ordered 250 of the Max-8 model from Boeing, but currently has just 34 operating in its fleet. American Airlines ordered 100 from Boeing and currently has 24 in operation. “American continues to collaborate with the FAA and other regulatory authorities, as the safety of our team members and customers is our number one priority. We have full confidence in the aircraft and our crew members, who are the best and most experienced in the industry,” a spokesperson for American Airlines told Gizmodo over email. It’s too soon to know what caused the crash in Ethiopia, but the plane may have experienced similar problems to the Lion Air flight that crashed in October. Both crashes happened shortly after takeoff after pilots reportedly experienced issues controlling altitude. In the case of the Lion Air flight, the plane was apparently getting false readings from sensors. After that crash, Boeing is said to have issued a warning that automated systems could push the nose of the plane down, causing it to abruptly dive. “Boeing is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane,” Paul R. Bergman, a spokesperson for Boeing, told Gizmodo via email. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.” “A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board,” said Bergman. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not ordered anyone to stop using the Boeing 737 Max-8, but customers are understandably concerned. Some people are even taking to social media to tell Southwest and American that they’ll be cancelling their flights because they want to avoid that particular aircraft. How can you tell what kind of plane you’ll be on? The best resource online is called SeatGuru. Just type in your airline’s name, the date you’re flying, and the flight number. The 737 Max-8 is advertised as having the “widest economy seat” of all the 737s. But that extra room might not be worth it when two Max-8 aircraft have fallen out of the sky.