The Boeing 737 Max global grounding saga is set to roll on for several more months due to Covid-19 disruptions.
The pandemic has delayed progress as Boeing moves slowly toward recertification.
CNBC reports the Max won’t be given the go-ahead until late summer or the fall.
There are still at least two software updates and a number of other regulatory milestones it needs to complete.
It had been making steady progress but the pandemic has been slowing it down in recent weeks.
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said it would be ready for recertification by mid-2020, but that will almost certainly be pushed back by a few weeks, with key safety officials currently working from home.
The 737 Max fleet has been grounded globally since March 2019 following two deadly crashes.
Meanwhile, Boeing has pulled out of a planned $4.2 billion joint venture deal with Brazil’s Embraer.
Embraer has not met all the conditions needed to complete the deal, Boeing said.
Boeing was set to buy 80% of Embraer’s commercial aerospace business.
"It is deeply disappointing but we have reached a point where continued negotiation within the framework of the MTA is not going to resolve the outstanding issues," said Marc Allen, president of the Embraer partnership and group operations.
