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Boeing 737 MAX won’t fly again before the summer
Boeing’s 737 MAX plane will remain grounded until the summer, the aircraft manufacturer admitted today, causing a further headache for airlines around the world.
The aircraft has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes, which together killed 346 people.
Boeing has been working to fix a fault that was a factor in both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, but it has yet to get the go ahead from regulators in the US to relaunch the aircraft.
It had hoped the US regulator, the FAA, would approve the aircraft by December last year, but Boeing has taken the decision to temporarily stop production of the aircraft after uncovering further faults.
Last week it confirmed it had found another problem which must be fixed before it can fly again.
Several airlines, including TUI in the UK and Ryanair, have large numbers of MAX on order and they’re depending on the aircraft to increase short-haul capacity.
Boeing said its announcement that the MAX would return to service in mid-2020 was ‘informed by our experience to date with the certification process’.
"Returning the Max safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen."
The grounding has already cost Boeing more than $9 billion.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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