On Tuesday, the aircraft, which was technically fundamentally overhauled after two crashes, began regular operations.
A few weeks after the end of the flight ban, a passenger flight with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft took off again for the first time on Tuesday. American Airlines starts the route from Miami to New York with the aircraft, which has been technically completely overhauled after two crashes.
For Boeing, it is a further step out of the worst crisis in the company's 100-year history, which was made worse by the corona shock in aviation. A first transfer flight by Air Canada ended on Monday after a short time at an alternate airport.
The successful Boeing 737 MAX model was taken out of service in March 2019 after two crashes with a total of 346 deaths in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Problems with the control system were the cause of the accident. The US aviation authority FAA approved flight operations again in mid-November after changing the control software and with requirements for pilot training. The supervisory authority was accused of negligence in controlling the powerful US aircraft manufacturer because of the accidents.
After a change in the law passed over the weekend, the FAA must therefore reform its certification processes in order to isolate itself from pressure from the supervised. For example, the FAA is no longer allowed to pay its employees bonuses for meeting the manufacturer's deadlines. At Boeing, the safety culture is to be reviewed. Criminal investigations against those responsible at the aircraft manufacturer are still ongoing.
American Airlines is not the first airline to use the model again. Brazil and Mexico gave the green light for MAX shortly after the USA, so that the Brazilian airline Gol and Aeromexico have already handled around 250 flights. The European supervisory authority EASA is checking the re-approval of the model itself, instead of taking over the FAA's position as has been the case up to now. A decision has been announced for January.
Great distrust
Meanwhile, there is still great distrust among passengers. According to a survey by Reuters / Ipsos, almost 40 percent of those surveyed in the USA still had the accidents in their heads. When informed about the incidents, 57 percent said they did not want to fly with a MAX. 37 percent would be willing to get on the plane if it had proven itself in the air for at least six months.
