The Boeing 737 Max, grounded around the world since April 2019, has received approval from the FAA to fly again, and U.S. airlines will resume flying the jet as soon as early December.
Non-U.S. carriers will have to wait a bit longer for certification by overseas authorities, including the EU’s air safety authorities, but that process may be completed soon.
The first flights will be by American Airlines, which will begin non-commercial flights in early December, and will fly its first scheduled service on Dec. 29 between Miami and New York LaGuardia. United says its flights will resume in the first quarter of 2021, with Southwest following in the second quarter. Alaska, the fourth major U.S. purchaser, will begin receiving its deliveries.
The schedule could conceivably move faster for United and Southwest, but each plane requires FAA-mandated hardware and software modifications as well as additional pilot training.
