DALLAS - Boeing Co's 737 MAX staged its first post-grounding flight with media on board on Wednesday, as carriers seek to demonstrate to passengers that the redesigned jet is safe after a 20-month safety ban, Tracy Rucinski reports for Reuters. Continue reading original article.
The Intelligent Aerospace take:
December 3, 2020 - On November 18, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it was rescinding its order that grounded the 737 Max 8 and 9 models. The aircraft was grounded worldwide for approximately 20 months following a pair of deadly crashes in late 2018 and 2019 related to the aircraft's Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).
"We will never forget the lives lost in the two tragic accidents that led to the decision to suspend operations," said David Calhoun, chief executive officer of The Boeing Company on Nov. 18. "These events and the lessons we have learned as a result have reshaped our company and further focused our attention on our core values of safety, quality and integrity."
The first flight back for the Max in the United States was a short jaunt from Dallas, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma flown by American Airlines. The first commercial passenger flight is scheduled to take place on December 29.
"The history of aviation is built around a chain of safety," Captain Pete Gamble told passengers just before takeoff. "When the chain of safety breaks it's up to those of us in the industry to mend it and bring it back."
Related: GE's new billion-dollar problem? Boeing's MAX
Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace
