Alaska Airlines Flight Arrives at Portland Airport with Open Cargo Door and Pets Inside
The airline is also facing a $1 billion lawsuit after a portion of a plane blew out mid-flight in January
Alaska Airlines is in the news once again for a recent incident concerning a commercial flight.
Alaska Airlines Flight 1437 landed safely at the gates at Portland International Airport last week after traveling from Los Cabos, Mexico, however, according to multiple sources, the aircraft’s cargo door was open with passengers’ pets inside upon arrival.
Related: Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant Meets Baby Flamingos Hatched from the Eggs She Saved on Flight
In an article published on Thursday, Portland’s KOIN 6 stated that a source close to the situation said the airplane did not require an emergency landing, though it was unclear just how long the cargo door was ajar.
“Upon landing at PDX on March 1, Alaska Airlines flight 1437 was discovered to have the forward cargo door unsealed,” the company said in a statement to the news station.
“There was no indication to the crew that the door was unsealed during flight and all indications point to the door partially opening after landing. Our maintenance teams inspected the aircraft, replaced a spring in the door, tested the door and reentered it into service.”
PEOPLE reached out to Alaska Airlines for additional information, but did not immediately hear back.
This comes after the airline recently came under fire in early January when an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737-9 aircraft heading from Portland, Oregon to Ontario, California had to make an emergency landing when a portion of the plane blew out mid-flight as passengers were onboard.
The impact was so severe that one passenger claimed his shirt was ripped off from the sudden pressure in the cabin.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Diego Murillo, who had been on January flight, told the BBC the hole left in the airplane was "as wide as a refrigerator.”
Another passenger named Evan Smith told the outlet that “all the air masks dropped” as a result.
In a news release posted to the company’s website on Jan. 5, Alaska Airlines admitted that Flight 1282 “experienced an incident this evening soon after departure.”
They added that all “171 guests and 6 crew members” made it to their destination and said the incident was under investigation.
"My heart goes out to those who were on this flight – I am so sorry for what you experienced,” company CEO Ben Minicucci said in a statement.
“I am so grateful for the response of our pilots and flight attendants. We have teams on the ground in Portland assisting passengers and are working to support guests who are traveling in the days ahead.”
Minicucci also said that the company made the decision to temporarily ground “our fleet of 65 Boeing 737-9” aircrafts to have inspections performed.
Passengers on the flight were also given $1,500 in compensation.
Alaska Airlines resumed operations at the end of January by offering 30 percent off flights for a limited time with the code THANKYOU30.
According to a complaint obtained by CBS News earlier this week, several passengers who were on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 are now suing the airline and Boeing for $1 billion.
Per the complaint, they allegedly “suffered severe mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, including post-traumatic stress, and physical injuries,” which were a “direct result of the frightful, death-threatening failure of the Boeing aircraft.”
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.