Schedule For The Boeing 737 MAX’s Return Becomes More Uncertain
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
Boeing’s 737 MAX return to service could drag into the latter part of the year as the company continues to address safety concerns over its best-selling single-aisle plane.
The latest uncertainty comes after a new Bloomberg News report that says Boeing now may need up to three months to fix a software issue the Federal Aviation Administration identified while conducting simulator tests on updates to the plane’s flight control system.
Bloomberg, which cites “unnamed people familiar with the matter,” cast an increasingly uncertain timeline for the jet’s possible return to service. “Estimates for how long it will take to address the issue range from a few weeks to three months,” Bloomberg wrote, citing its sources.
The Associated Press also reported on the possibly shifting MAX timeline. A Boeing official told the news agency on Thursday that the company believes it can have the needed MAX software update fixes ready for FAA approval “in the September timeframe.”
But, even if Boeing hits that target, AP notes that it could take regulators “several weeks” more to analyze the updates and then – if they’re approved – even more time for airlines to take their MAX jets out of storage and ready them for a return to passenger service. That, AP suggested, could be “a sign that the troubled jet likely won’t be flying until late this year.”
While American operators of the jet announced plans to return their 737 MAX fleets to service as early as September, it seems increasingly likely that the planes could remain grounded well into the fall.
Featured photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
WELCOME OFFER: 60,000 Points
TPG'S BONUS VALUATION*: $1,200
CARD HIGHLIGHTS: 2X points on all travel and dining, points transferrable to over a dozen travel partners
*Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. View our latest valuations here.
- Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- 2X points on dining at restaurants including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out and travel & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.