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Chicago-based United Airlines has said it will begin flying the Boeing 737 MAX again in the first quarter of 2021. Meanwhile, rival American Airlines says it will resume passenger-less flights in early December and then passenger planes. at the end of the month. American said it would operate two daily flights (one roundtrip) with a Boeing 737 MAX jet between Miami and New York.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to return to service after being on the ground for 20 months, the longest ground connection in the history of commercial aviation. Southwest Airlines, the nation’s largest operator of the 737 MAX, said in October that it does not plan to resume Boeing 737 MAX flights until at least the second quarter of 2021.
Grounding followed two fatal accidents
The troubled plane has had no passengers since March 2019 following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, which killed 157 people. This accident occurred after a similar incident in Indonesia in which Lion Air Flight 610 fell into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff in October 2018. In that accident, 189 people lost their lives.
After extensive investigation, an anti-lock device called a Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was found to be the culprit in both accidents. Since then, Boeing has been working on a solution for the software so that pilots have more autonomy and can override the system.
Pilots need more training
While the FAA approved the new software, it also issued a directive that says all pilots need more training on the Boeing 737 MAX before flying the plane. According to the aviation enthusiast website Planespotters.net, United Airlines currently has 14 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft with an average age of 2.2 years. On the United Airlines website, the Star Alliance member takes the FAA’s recommendations and directives seriously and will ensure that their 737 MAX aircraft are safe.
The steps United is taking include the following:
- Computer instruction
- Hands-on training in a full flight simulator
- Test flights
Before the aircraft is deemed ready for return to service, each aircraft will undergo a series of test flights by Boeing 737 MAX test pilots to ensure the planes are safe.
How to know if it will be in a 737 MAX
As if flying right now wasn’t stressful enough with COVID-19 out of control in the United States, passengers will now have the added worry of knowing that they could be flying in a 737 MAX. One way to find out if a 737 MAX is on the route you are flying is to go to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.com and simply type in your flight number and departure and arrival airports.
When you originally booked your flight, you may indicate that a Boeing 737-800 is being used. We all know that airlines have a habit of exchanging planes at the last minute. With FlightRadar24.com, you have up-to-the-minute knowledge of which aircraft you are flying on.
Are you ready to be a passenger in a Boeing 737 MAX again or are you like me and are you going to wait a bit before deciding that the plane is now safe to fly? Tell us your opinion in the comments.
