American Airlines has decided to extend the cancellation of 737 Max flights through Sept. 3, a decision that will affect 115 flights per day.
The Boeing 737 Max is not going to fly any time soon. This is the message that American Airlines, the largest airline in the US, is suggesting with the extension of the cancellation of all flights involving the troubled aircraft. The airline had previously announced that all 737 Max would be cancelled through August 19.
Following the crashes of Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines that occurred within 5 months and killed 346 people, the Boeing 737 Max has been grounded by regulators around the world since March 2019.
Many flights are going to be cancelled as the airline has to rebook flights for passengers who were supposed to fly on a 737 Max. American Airlines has announced that it would refund passengers who are not willing to see their flights rescheduled.
American Airlines has 24 737 Max 8 aircraft within its fleet of 900 aircraft.
“American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon,” said American Airlines in a statement. “By extending the cancellations, our customers and team members can more reliably plan their upcoming travel on American.”
In the US, three airlines have 737 Max aircraft in their fleets: American Airlines, Southwest and United Airlines. Both Southwest and United have canceled their flights through August. All airlines have been waiting for the software of the 737 Max to be fixed and their pilot to be trained to use it. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had called for the software to be fixed by the end of April 2019, but additional issues were found in the software while it was being reviewed.
John is a passionate traveler who has traveled to over 46 countries on more than 30 different airlines. He loves surfing, booking hotels and flights using his frequent flyers points, and exploring new cultures. John lives in London.
