American Airlines Plans To return Boeing 737 Max To Service By Year-End

By Dave Simpson
American Airlines Plans To return Boeing 737 Max To Service By Year-End

American Airlines Group has said that it plans to return Boeing 737 Max jets to service for passenger flights by the end of this year, depending on certification of the aircraft from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The airline said that it will operate a daily 737 Max flight between Miami and New York from December 29 until January 4, with flights available for booking from October 24.

"We remain in contact with the FAA and Boeing on the certification process and we'll continue to update our plans based on when the aircraft is certified," the company said in an statement.

The FAA reiterated in a statement on Sunday October 18 that it has no timeline for approving the plane's return to service and said that it "will lift the grounding order only after FAA safety experts are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards."

The Boeing 737 MAX has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes killed 346 people. The FAA expects to lift its grounding order around mid-November, sources briefed on the matter previously told Reuters, but that date could still slip.

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American Airlines said that it will make customers aware that they are flying on a 737 MAX.

Draft Report

In early October, the FAA issued a draft report on revised training procedures for the MAX, which is open for public comment through November 2.

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