One of the biggest issues surrounding the possible return of Boeing Co.’s troublesome 737 MAX is whether a skeptical flying public will want to return to that particular aircraft.
© United Airlines
Boeing 737 MAX
American airlines will apparently make that decision easy for you, according to the New York Times.
Carriers will allow changes to free flight when and if the 737 MAX returns to the air
US companies have yet to announce policies related to the return of Max’s service. However, in a statement this week to The Times, a United Airlines spokeswoman said the company “will be transparent, and will communicate in advance, with our customers who are reserved to fly on a Max plane, will rebook those who they don’t want to fly in a Max for free. “
Expect other airlines to follow United’s lead with the new reservation, as Southwest and American confirmed similar intentions to aviation blog The Points Guy.
But, to be clear, that’s a rebook, not a refund.
The 737 MAX has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 after two separate collisions that resulted in the deaths of 346 passengers and crew. The plane performed its first test on Monday as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s recertification process and completed nearly eight hours in total in the air on Friday.
However, much remains to be done before the plane can officially return to the air, which will not happen before September. The FAA will take data from the three separate test flights and evaluate the results.
In addition, the Seattle Times reports that the FAA and a panel of regulators from Canada, Europe, and Brazil will evaluate the minimum pilot training requirements and flight manual instructions, issue a draft of the report open for public comment, and then produce a report. Final over the minimum required training standard, which will include time in a full flight simulator, something Boeing had long resisted for the MAX.
Video: US regulator Boeing completes 737 MAX certification test flights (Reuters)
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