This archive report was first published on 10 October 2019.
October 10, 2019 - American Airlines Group Inc has extended cancellations of Boeing 737 MAX flights through January 15, contradicting the US plane maker's promises that the grounded jets would be flying again before the year-end.
The largest US airline had previously cancelled about 140 flights a day through December 3, and upped its estimate for the impact of the groundings on third-quarter pre-tax profit to $140 million, $15 million more than a previous estimate.
Boeing's sales numbers showed that by the end of September, it had delivered only half the number of aircraft it did in the same period of 2018.
Regulators are still reviewing proposed software changes to the grounded plane with no certain timetable for the jet's return.
According to American Airlines, it expects to gradually resume MAX flights starting January 16, adding that software updates could lead to the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) 'recertification of the aircraft later this year and resumption of commercial service in January 2020.'
The FAA said it was 'following a thorough process, not a prescribed timeline, for returning the Boeing 737 Max to passenger service. The FAA will lift the aircraft's prohibition order when it is deemed safe to do so.'
