- The Boeing 737 Max has flown more than 2,700 passenger flights in 5,500 hours since November 2020.
- Five airlines currently carry passengers on the Max in the United States, Canada, Brazil, Panama and Mexico.
- The European Union Aviation Security Agency approved Max to transport passengers on Wednesday.
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Boeing has placed a considerable distance between the 20-month stranding of its 737 Max and now has more than 2,700 flights and about 5,500 flight hours, the manufacturer announced on Wednesday.
“We made significant progress on the 737 program this quarter,” said Dave Calhoun, CEO of Boeing. “This is the culmination of a comprehensive effort, including nearly 400,000 hours of engineering, 1,400 tests and checks and more than 3,000 hours of flight completed on the plane.”
The Federal Aviation Administration authorized Max to fly again on November 18, with regulators from Latin America, Canada and, more recently, from the European Union following suit. The European Union Aviation Security Agency gave Boeing aircraft the green light on Wednesday, allowing airlines such as Ryanair, Norwegian Air Shuttle and Icelandair, among others, to finally resume Max flights.
The countries of the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific continue to be the most notable outliers in the resumption of Max flights, with China, in particular, continuing to await recertification. Calhoun said that any pending approval from foreign regulators should occur in the first half of 2021.
And despite the aircraft’s infamous reputation, airlines are reporting that flight loads remain in line with other aircraft, indicating that pilots are not actively avoiding Max. offer flexible change policies that allow passengers to switch planes.
Read More: The 16 most outrageous things Boeing employees have said about the company, the 737 Max program and each other in internal emails released
Boeing’s first priority is to get the Max aircraft already delivered to fly again. Only five airlines have returned to fly their Max planes and new regulatory approvals will mean more will do so in the coming weeks and months.
“Each airline has different operational considerations for returning planes to revenue service and schedules for training their pilots,” said Calhoun. “We are supporting each of them as they go through the process.”
Gol Linhas Aéreas was the first airline to resume Max flights in early December, soon followed by Aeromexico on December 21 and American Airlines on December 29.
American, despite its late start, is proving to be the main driver of Max’s flights as it continues to expand its route network with the aircraft. In March, American’s 737 Max will be flying as far west as San Diego, California, north to Boston and south to Manaus, Brazil, according to Cirium data.
United Airlines will resume Max flights on February 11 from Denver and Houston, while Southwest Airlines will launch its first Max flights in March, the most recent of any United States airline that flew with Max prior to landing in March 2019. .
At the same time, Boeing will continue to deliver new Max aircraft to airlines, as new construction is halted at airports across the country and in parking lots in the Seattle area. Deliveries of the 450 aircraft portfolio resumed in December and more than 40 aircraft have since been delivered.
“Before delivery, teams are performing all the necessary tests and ensuring that each plane receives personalized care and rolls over to a delivery cabin ready for customer acceptance and FAA review,” said Calhoun.
Alaska Airlines just received its first Max on January 23, the fourth and last airline in the United States to receive Max for now, with plans for a debut on March 1. The Seattle-Los Angeles and Seattle-San Diego routes will be the first to see the aircraft on launch day.
Boeing has lost hundreds of Max orders due to the stranding of the aircraft and the COVID-19 pandemic, but new orders keep coming. Since not stranding, Ryanair from Ireland has placed a Max order for 75 aircraft, Alaska has increased its firm Max order to 68 planes, and Canada’s Flair Airlines has just leased 13 Max aircraft.
Billions, however, still need to be paid in compensation to customers due to the extended stranding.
“Cumulatively, we have accumulated a liability of $ 9.6 billion for estimated potential leases and other considerations,” said Gregory Smith, Boeing’s chief financial officer, on the 737 Max. “To date, we have made $ 3.7 billion in payments to cash customers and other forms of compensation, including the $ 600 million we paid this quarter. “
But the biggest obstacle to Boeing’s return after two fatal accidents with Max has been overcome, as the aircraft is once again back in the sky and, as a result, deliveries have resumed and orders are coming in again.
“After one of the most rigorous certification efforts in aviation history, we are confident in the safety of our aircraft,” said Calhoun.