March 12 (Reuters) - Alaska Air Group ( ALK ), the

operator of the 737 MAX 9 jet that experienced a mid-air cabin

panel blowout, forecast a narrower-than-expected first-quarter

loss on Tuesday due to strong travel demand.

The company forecast a quarterly adjusted loss per share of

55 cents to 45 cents per share, compared with average analysts'

expectation of loss of $1.18 per share, as per LSEG data.

The first-quarter forecast reflects an unspecified partial

compensation the carrier received from Boeing ( BA ), Alaska

added.