AUSTIN, Texas — Boeing’s 737 MAX jet will be allowed to start flying again, federal regulators announced on Wednesday, about 20 months after the plane was grounded because of two overseas crashes that killed hundreds of people.
But it won’t be back in the air immediately, and it could be even longer before any Austin travelers will get to fly on the plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will first have to approve each airline’s pilot training program revisions, the agency said in a news release. Each airline will also have to make sure each aircraft has the appropriate maintenance completed before flying again after being parked for months.
Currently, only three U.S. carriers have the Boeing 737 MAX jet – Southwest, United and American – all three of which happen to be traditionally the busiest carriers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
American will be the first U.S. carrier to return the aircraft to service. It’s currently scheduled to start a daily roundtrip service from Miami to New York’s LaGuardia Airport on Dec. 29.
In January, American plans to increase the 737 Boeing 737 MAX jet flying schedule from its Miami hub to up to 36 departures depending on the day of the week, according to a letter sent to airline employees on Wednesday. It’s not clear yet if any of those will be flights to Austin.
The other two airlines will hold off until next year.
Southwest Airlines told KVUE it won’t be until the second quarter of 2021 at the earliest that the airline brings the jet back into service. It’s not clear yet if that will include any Austin routes.
United Airlines told KVUE it plans to bring the 737 Boeing 737 MAX jet in the first quarter of 2021 but the airline does not have route specifics yet.
The two deadly crashes that grounded the aircraft happened within minutes of the jet taking off. The aircraft’s automated flight control system misfired in both crashes, which made it difficult for pilots to control the plane and maintain altitude. The system that didn’t work wasn’t in the pilot manual.
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