Amid recent and very serious problems with the software on board Boeing’s newest fleet of 737 Max airplanes, national airlines such as Southwest, United, and American have announced that they have cancelled flights using these airliners until early November. The planes have been officially grounded since this past March, after a pair of lethal crashed were caused by software errors.
Information initially reported by the Washington Post.
Before the 737 Max planes can head back up into the sky, they must pass inspection from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including a new software code that eliminates their deadly error. It was initially anticipated that the inspection would have been cleared by early April 2019, however the investigation has found other issues with the aircraft that need to be resolved before an approval is made.
The updated Boeing model is a new take on their traditional 737, now with a redesign done on the engine to promote a higher fuel efficiency. A Boeing official has stated that the company expects to have all of their material ready and submitted for FAA review by the end of September. In the meantime, consumers may see a jump in flight prices and less frequent flight times from major airlines as they scramble to create a new flight schedule to coincide with the delays related to the 737 Max.
Do you think Boeing should have been more thorough with their initial inspection of the 737 Max? How do you think this will impact airline prices for the future? Let us know in the comments!