Boeing 737 MAX returns to service in first US commercial flight since March 2019
Boeing 737 MAX returns to service as 100 people take first US commercial flight since entire fleet of jets was grounded in March 2019 after two deadly crashes
- American Airlines Flight 718 on Tuesday is the first US flight of a 737 MAX in 21 months
- Flight took off smoothly from Miami and is scheduled to land in New York shortly after 1pm
- The MAX was grounded in March 2019 after deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia
- In all, 346 people died after malfunction attributed to faulty sensors that pushed the nose down
- FAA approved a return to service after flight control updates, maintenance work and fresh pilot training
A Boeing 737 MAX has departed Miami International Airport with 100 passengers aboard for the aircraft’s first U.S. commercial flight since faulty sensor readings contributed to two deadly crashes and the plane was grounded in 2019.
The American Airlines flight is scheduled to land at New York’s LaGuardia Airport around 1.30pm on Tuesday, according to an airline spokeswoman.
The airline gave customers the chance to change flights if they were uncomfortable on the MAX, and many of the passengers on the flight are members of the media.
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes that Boeing made to an automated flight-control system implicated in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people in all.
AA718 is scheduled to land in New York around 1.30pm on Tuesday. It is the first US commercial flight of the 737 MAX since the plane was grounded in March 2019 after two deadly crashes
Passengers look out at American Airlines flight 718, a Boeing 737 Max, parked at its gate at Miami International Airport as people load for the flight to New York on Tuesday
Passengers board the first 737 MAX US commercial flight in 21 months in Miami on Tuesday for the flight to New York
American Airlines flight 718 is pushed back from its gate at Miami International Airport on its way to New York on Tuesday
In both crashes, the system pushed the nose down repeatedly based on faulty sensor readings, and pilots were unable to regain control.
A Reuters/IPSOS poll shows that more than half of passengers are wary of taking the jet when reminded of two fatal crashes that led to the grounding.
‘This aircraft is ready to go,’ American President Robert Isom said at a media briefing in Miami before the flight. The airline is confident in the safety of the 737 MAX, he added.
American’s first flight between Miami and LaGuardia follows flight control updates, maintenance work, fresh pilot training and town hall meetings with flight crews to walk them through Boeing’s changes and address concerns.
American Airlines currently has 31 737 MAX aircraft after taking delivery of seven more jets since the FAA lifted its safety ban, including one on Monday and plans to gradually reintroduces the plane to its fleet.
The MAX was grounded worldwide in March 2019, days after the second crash. Reports by House and Senate committees faulted Boeing and the FAA for failures in the process of certifying the plane.
The Boeing 737 Max flew its first commercial flight since the aircraft was allowed to return to service nearly two years after being grounded worldwide following a pair of separate crashes
American Airlines ground crew look on as the flight takes off from Miami on Tuesday. ‘This aircraft is ready to go,’ American President Robert Isom said at a media briefing in Miami before the flight
American Airlines flight 718 takes off from Miami in a historic moment as the 737 MAX returns to service. A Reuters/IPSOS poll shows that more than half of passengers are wary of taking the jet when reminded of two fatal crashes
FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, a former military and airline pilot, operated a test flight in September and vouched for the plane’s safety, saying he would put his family on it.
American Airlines President Robert Isom planned to be on Tuesday’s inaugural U.S. flight.
American plans to make one round trip a day between Miami and New York with the planes through January 4 before putting the MAX on more routes.
United Airlines plans to resume flights with the MAX in February, and Southwest Airlines plans to resume flights with the planes in March.
The MAX’s return comes at a time when COVID-19 has thrust the industry into its worst crisis, with airlines parking hundreds of jets as demand hovers around 30 percent of 2019 levels.
When the 737 MAX was grounded, U.S. airlines canceled flights because they lacked aircraft to meet demand, adding to Boeing’s financial liability.
Now airlines are deferring jet deliveries and do not expect a robust rebound until COVID-19 vaccines are widely available.
American Airlines flight 718 takes off on Tuesday. American plans to make one round trip a day between Miami and New York with the planes through January 4 before putting the MAX on more routes
The flight took off without incident on Tuesday in Miami. The MAX’s return comes at a time when COVID-19 has thrust the industry into its worst crisis in history
Relatives of 737 MAX crash victims oppose its return.
‘I call on anyone looking to book a flight in the future to understand when they buy their ticket what type of airplane will be used so they can make an informed decision for themselves and their loved ones,’ said Yalena Lopez-Lewis, whose husband Antoine Lewis died on the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
Regulators in Europe and Brazil also cleared the way for airlines to resume using the plane if certain changes were made and pilots were provided with additional training.
The first worldwide passenger flight with a revamped MAX took place this month in Brazil.
Brazil’s Gol airlines has since operated more than 540 flights and Aeromexico has operated more than 80 with MAX planes, according to tracking service Flightradar24.
