HOW LONG WILL THE BOEING 737 MAX GROUNDING LAST?

WITH THE HOLIDAY SEASON IN FULL SWING, 2020 IS FAST APPROACHING For now, the duration of the 737 MAX grounding is unclear. At the soonest, the 737 MAX could receive recertification in early 2020 – or perhaps in six months.

Boeing’s beleaguered Boeing 737 MAX continues to face headwinds en route to recertification. So far, regulatory agencies have yet to recertify the aircraft. And, with the holiday season in full swing, 2020 is fast approaching. Which now begs the question, what will be the final duration of the 737 MAX grounding?

What airlines are saying about the 737 MAX

Airlines have set out different timelines. On one hand, Icelandair announced a 737 MAX return to service date in May while American Airlines maintains an April return of service date. The commonality of both of these dates is that they extend beyond the one-year mark since the worldwide grounding started.

However, the timeline for an airline’s return to service is not the same for international regulators. While regulators may certify the aircraft sooner, airlines will need time to return the aircraft to service. Some will also take the time to attempt to restore public confidence in the aircraft. However, neither of these events are possible without the final seal of approval from regulators.

What regulators are saying about the 737 MAX

The FAA, in particular, has not taken up a hard timeline for the recertification process. After losing an incredible amount of global confidence, the FAA has to ensure that the 737 MAX is entirely ready for service after previous actions could not prevent a future 737 MAX crash.

While the EASA has provided a few more details, nothing regarding the 737 MAX recertification process is confirmed yet. Which then leaves passengers and airlines in the dark about what will happen with the 737 MAX.

So how long will the 737 MAX grounding last?

For now, the duration of the 737 MAX grounding is unclear. At the soonest, the 737 MAX could receive recertification in early 2020 – perhaps late January or early February. However, it is unknown exactly how much is left for review, whether Boeing needs to make additional fixes, or whether all international regulators are on the same page. While the FAA may recertify the aircraft, it causes airlines some stress if other countries do not as it limits the aircraft’s scheduling and route capabilities. However, Leeham News reports that some industry analysts think that it could be another 3-6 months before the 737 MAX flies again after Boeing suspended production of the 737 MAX. This could wreak even more havoc on airlines if the type remains grounded through the busy summer 2020 season. Ultimately, the FAA, EASA, and other safety agencies will control the timeline for the return of the 737 MAX. Whether regulators decide to take a month, two, or six more is up to them. At the end of the day, having a safe aircraft should be and is more important than any company’s bottom line.

Overall

Boeing did not release a timeline concerning the return of the 737 MAX to service. However, recent airline schedule pushes for the 737 MAX return to service indicate that some airlines believe the grounding is going to continue for a little longer than previously anticipated. While the 737 MAX has seen a number of return to service dates since the grounding started in March, all of them have come and gone. Now, it appears that 2020 could be the year of the return of the 737 MAX.

Photo: airwaysmag.com Fiji Airways Boeing 737 Max 8 ... its first two of the aircraft are now parked in dry conditions in central Australia. The national carrier had originally planned to have four of the airliners by the end of this year.