SOUTHWEST Airlines Co will not deploy the Boeing 737 Max aircraft in its fleet at least through October 1, one month more than earlier anticipated. This action will result in the ongoing cancellation of 150 daily flights.
The Dallas-based carrier, the biggest customer of this model aircraft, is prolonging the Max's absence again as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with a new safety risk on Boeing's best-selling jetliner, which was grounded globally on March 13 following two fatal crashes within five months.
While the airline said it made the scheduling decision 'before any developments of the past few days,' the new problem triggers further uncertainty on when safety regulators will allow the single-aisle aircraft to return to the skies, reported AJOT.
'We remain confident that, once certified by the F, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the Max,' Southwest said in the statement.
Boeing is devising software fixes and enhanced pilot training for the aircraft.
In a finding unrelated to the cause of the crashes, the F discovered that data processing by a flight computer could cause the Max to dive in such a way that pilots had difficulty recovering from in simulator tests, Bloomberg News reported.
The issue didn't involve the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, which has been tied to the tragic incidents involving Max planes operated by Indonesia's Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines.
Boeing is aiming for a potential 'end of summer' return for the Max, but it will take months to get the entire grounded fleet back into the air, according to chief executive officer Dennis Muilenburg.
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The Dallas-based carrier, the biggest customer of this model aircraft, is prolonging the Max's absence again as the Federal Aviation Administration grapples with a new safety risk on Boeing's best-selling jetliner, which was grounded globally on March 13 following two fatal crashes within five months.
While the airline said it made the scheduling decision 'before any developments of the past few days,' the new problem triggers further uncertainty on when safety regulators will allow the single-aisle aircraft to return to the skies, reported AJOT.
'We remain confident that, once certified by the F, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the Max,' Southwest said in the statement.
Boeing is devising software fixes and enhanced pilot training for the aircraft.
In a finding unrelated to the cause of the crashes, the F discovered that data processing by a flight computer could cause the Max to dive in such a way that pilots had difficulty recovering from in simulator tests, Bloomberg News reported.
The issue didn't involve the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, which has been tied to the tragic incidents involving Max planes operated by Indonesia's Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines.
Boeing is aiming for a potential 'end of summer' return for the Max, but it will take months to get the entire grounded fleet back into the air, according to chief executive officer Dennis Muilenburg.
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