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Southwest, American Airlines push back MAX return until March
NEW YORK, Nov 9, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Southwest Airlines and American Airlines
on Friday pushed back their timeframe again for resuming flights on the
Boeing 737 MAX amid uncertainty over when regulators will clear the plane for
service.
Southwest extended its grounding through March 6, 2020, while American
extended it until March 5.
The planes have been grounded globally since mid-March following two
crashes that killed 346 people. The grounding has dragged on much beyond
initial expectations as Boeing has upgraded systems and faced questions from
regulators and politicians over the plane.
Domestic-focused Southwest, which had previously set February 8 as a return
date for the MAX, said “proactively” removing the aircraft from service
reduced the likelihood of last-minute cancellations and disruption.
“Southwest Airlines continues to monitor information from Boeing and the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the impending 737 MAX software
enhancements and training requirements,” Southwest said.
“We remain confident that, once certified by the FAA, the enhancements will
support the safe operation of the MAX.”
A few hours later, American announced a similar move after previously
grounding the plane through January 15.
American said adjusted the timeframe followed “continuous contact” with the
Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.
Boeing has said it expects to receive regulatory approval to resume flights
in the fourth quarter of 2019, but that timeframe has started to look
uncertain as the end of the year approaches.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0901 hrs