United extends Boeing 737 MAX flight cancellations until December 19
Source: Reuters
Business News
August 30, 2019 / 11:52 AM / Updated 8 minutes ago
Tracy Rucinski 2 Min Read
CHICAGO (Reuters) - United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O) said on Friday it is extending the cancellation of Boeing 737 MAX flights by another month until Dec. 19 as the jets remain grounded worldwide following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in the past year.
Boeing Co (BA.N) has said it hopes to receive regulatory approval for updated flight control software at the center of both crashes in October, but it could take a month or two for airlines to train pilots on the new software and prepare the jets for commercial flight after sitting idle for months.
As the grounding that began in mid-March has dragged on, airlines that added the fuel-efficient, single-aisle MAX to their fleets in the past two years have had to cancel thousands of monthly flights, eating into their profits.
Chicago-based United had previously pulled its 14 737 MAX jets from its flight schedule through early November. Without the MAX, the carrier said it expects to cancel about 2,800 flights in November and 1,700 through Dec. 19.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ethiopia-airplane-united-arlns/united-extends-boeing-737-max-flight-cancellations-until-december-19-idUSKCN1VK20N?il=0