The return of Boeing 737 Max still up in air as airlines extend cancellation of flights

American Airlines said on Sunday (US time) it is extending cancellations of Boeing 737 MAX flights through December 3 but remains confident that the aircraft will be approved to fly again this year following new software and pilot training.

The plane has been grounded worldwide since March.Credit: AP

The fast-selling 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since mid-March while Boeing updates flight control software at the centre of two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that together killed 346 people within a span of five months.

American becomes the second major airline in a matter of days to extend the cancellation of Boeing 737 Max flights into December after United announced on Friday (US time) that it has removed the Max from its schedule until December 19, six weeks longer than previously planned.

United owns 14 Max jets, which have been grounded since March after the second of two accidents that together killed 346 people.

Boeing is targeting regulatory approval for the fixes in October, though the US Federal Aviation Administration has said it does not have a firm timeline to put the jets back in the air.

Meanwhile, airlines that had purchased the fuel-efficient MAX have had to cancel thousands of monthly flights as they scramble to meet demand with slimmer fleets, eating in to profit and hurting some growth plans.

American Air, with 24 MAX jets at the time of the grounding and dozens more on order, said it will cancel about 140 daily flights through December 3, more than the 115 daily cancellations it was making through the summer.

It had previously pulled its 737 MAX jets from its flight schedule through November 2.

Customers whose flights are affected by the cancellations will be contacted by American or their travel agent, the carrier said.

Among other US airlines that operate the MAX, Southwest Airlines Co has canceled flights into early January and United Airlines until December 19.

Reuters with AP