Dec 29, 2020 - Economy

Boeing 737 MAX flies U.S. passengers for first time after 20-month halt

Oriana González

Picture of three Boeing 737 MAX airliners — Photo: Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images

American Airlines on Tuesday flew Boeing's 737 MAX for the first time in nearly two years, having been grounded since March 2019 after a pair of crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people just months apart, the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The fatal crashes led to huge damage to Boeing's reputation and billions of dollars in costs.

The Federal Aviation Administration finally lifted Boeing's safety ban in November, but not before Congress attributed significant blame for the plane's shortcomings to both the company and the regulator.
A Senate committee released a report earlier this month finding that the FAA failed to conduct a proper review process of the MAX.

Details: American Airlines flight 718 left Miami Tuesday morning and is scheduled to land in New York in the afternoon before a return trip the same day, per the Times.

The big picture: Boeing expected orders for the MAX to increase once the ban was removed, but the coronavirus pandemic has caused a slump in travel and demand for new planes.

Go deeper: Boeing's dual crises

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Boeing 737 MAX flies U.S. passengers for first time after 20-month halt

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