Hundreds of Houston flights delayed due to severe weather and Boeing 737 Max 9 groundings

Houston-area flights are experiencing delays and cancellations due to severe weather and the temporary grounding of some Boeing 737 Max planes.

The Federal Aviation Administration ordered all Boeing 737 Max 9 planes — 171 in total — be grounded shortly after a fuselage panel blew out on an Alaska Airlines jetliner just minutes after taking off, leaving a massive hole on the side of the plane.

In a statement, United, which uses Boeing 737 Max 9 planes more than any other airline, confirmed about 200 delays were expected across the country on Monday. As of Monday afternoon, more than 130 United flights were delayed while more than 40 flights were completely cancelled at Bush Intercontinental Airport, according to FlightAware. Additionally, Alaska Airlines confirmed about 140 flight cancellations for Monday due to the grounded planes across the nation.

As of now, United representatives say they’ve grounded 79 planes and have begun preliminary inspections of the emergency door plug while awaiting final instructions from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“We’re continuing to work with the FAA to clarify the inspection process and requirements for returning all MAX 9 aircraft to service,” the statement read. “We are working with customers to re-accommodate them on other flights and in some cases have been able to avoid cancellations by switching to other aircraft types.”

According to the FAA, both United and Alaska Airlines will need to complete “enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners,” while also completing corrective actions based on inspection findings.

United is waiving change fees and offering full refunds for customers scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 Max 9. The company is also waiving change fees for those impacted by severe thunderstorms, which are expected to impact flights throughout the Houston area over the next few days. Alaska Airlines is allowing people to change or cancel flights that are set to fly out between Jan. 6 and Jan. 9.

Additionally, 183 Southwest flights were experiencing delays at Hobby Airport as of Monday afternoon due to inclement weather. Southwest is also waiving change fees for customers looking to reschedule their Monday flights.