Return of Troubled Boeing 737 MAX Planes Will Come in Phases

27.07.2023 - 18:11 / smartertravel.com

Update: September 27, 2019

Boeing management’s recent announcements, along with other news reports, indicate that the return of the 737 MAX will be “phased.” Training sessions for American Airlines pilots are scheduled through mid-October with returns of the aircraft possible late this year, according to the Dallas Morning News. But apparently Europe and Asia are likely to take longer than that to clear the planes for service, so you may not see flights in those areas until sometime early in 2020.

For the rest of the year and in early 2020, unexpected schedule changes should not be a noticeable problem for passengers: Airlines have been pushing the planned operational 737 MAX dates steadily, so as to avoid premature schedule changes. When you see a MAX on a schedule, it’s very likely to be confirmed. And, according to the FAA, it will be safe.

Readers: Are you concerned about getting back on a Boeing 737 MAX after the Ethiopian and Lion Air crashes grounded the model? Comment below.

Editor’s note: The below original story was published in June 2019.

The FAA has reportedly uncovered a new issue with Boeing’s 737 MAX models that will likely extend cancellations of flights using the model into fall. The Boeing model was globally grounded following two fatal plane crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia (in a span of four months) that pointed to a Boeing flight system flaw. The software issue is thought to have pointed the nose of the plane downward even despite pilot intervention, causing tragic crashes that killed everyone on board.

According to late-June reports, simulator pilots discovered a new flaw in the Boing 737 aircraft control system—the system generally considered to be an important contributing cause of the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes. The new flaw is in the same MCAS anti-stall system, which is designed to compensate for the airframe and engine upgrades from earlier 737s, but this time the problem may be hardware, not just software. Specifically, in simulator runs, pilots discovered that failure of a microprocessor in the stabilizer system could potentially have the same effect as the software glitch: pushing the nose of the aircraft downward.

This latest discovery will almost surely result in a further delay in return of the 737 MAX to airline service. The objective is to make it safe before making it available. In other words: Don’t expect to fly in a MAX any time soon, but when they return, travelers can be confident they’re safe.

In early June, the 737 MAX aircraft had already seen extended cancellations through the rest of the busy summer flying season (until Labor Day) by at least one major airline: American Airlines. In a statement, American said that the initial