American Airlines holds the 737 MAX’s first civilian passenger flight in nearly two years

DALLAS (Reuters) – Boeing Co’s 737 MAX will perform its first public demonstration flight with members of the media on Wednesday since it was arrested for fatal accidents, as one of its largest customers, American Airlines, tries to prove it is safe for passengers.

The flight from the airline’s base in Dallas, Texas to Tulsa, Oklahoma, arrives weeks before the airline’s first commercial flight on Dec.29 and is part of a public relations effort by the planemaker and airlines to rehabilitate the image of the jet after a record 20-month ban.

Boeing said it had no comment on the US flight and would have no staff on board. The designer said airlines will take a direct role in proving passengers that the 737 MAX is safe.

Boeing’s best-selling jet landed worldwide in March 2019 after two crashes five months apart killed a total of 346 people, marking the industry’s worst security crisis in decades and a huge joke. arrest for the regulatory leadership of the US aviation.

Wednesday’s flight marks the first time anyone other than regulators and industry personnel has flown the MAX since the crash. Last month, the US Federal Aviation Administration cleared the flight. Brazilian Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes is planning a similar high-profile event for the redesigned MAX this month, with cautious hopes of flying its first commercial flights next week, a rep said.

SMOOTH RETURN?

A regular return to service for the MAX is considered critical to Boeing’s reputation and finances.

The US planemaker is preparing for intense publicity even from routine glitches, manning a “situation room” 24/7 to monitor every MAX flight globally, and has informed some industry commentators on the details of the return to service. industry sources said.

Airlines and leasing companies have spent hundreds of billions of dollars to purchase the latest upgrade to the 737, the world’s best-selling aircraft.

But the families of some of the accident victims in Indonesia and Ethiopia have protested the return to service, saying it is premature before a final investigative report on the second incident is released.

PR efforts are designed to highlight software and training updates that the FAA has claimed to remove any doubts about the safety of the aircraft.

Boeing toned down its original plans for the plane’s final return as the crisis dragged on for longer than executives expected, demolishing a high-profile advertising campaign that had included a Seattle-area ceremony and tour with an Oman Air 737 MAX, industry sources said.

A Boeing representative declined to comment.

Meanwhile, in a vote of confidence, airlines are stepping in to place orders for the MAX, with Alaska Airlines agreeing to charter additional MAX jets last week and Ryanair of Ireland plans to reload MAX orders as early as this week.