Boeing announced on Tuesday that by their best estimate, the 737 MAX will return to service (RTS) in mid-2020, placing the estimated return between June and July. Ultimately the RTS date will be determined by the FAA and other global regulators.
Today, Boeing issued a statement saying that based on their experience, the 737 MAX won’t return to service (RTS) until mid-2020, placing the expected return date between June and July. The company reiterated the RTS would ultimately be determined by the FAA and other global regulators, but they issued the statement so their airline customers and suppliers could plan their operations accordingly. The statement reads in part,
“We are informing our customers and suppliers that we are currently estimating that the ungrounding of the 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020. This updated estimate is informed by our experience to date with the certification process. It is subject to our ongoing attempts to address known schedule risks and further developments that may arise in the certification process. It also accounts for the rigorous scrutiny that regulatory authorities are rightly applying at every step of their review of the 737 MAX’s flight control system and the Joint Operations Evaluation Board process which determines pilot training requirements.”
Source: Boeing
Opinion
Having perpetually reported changing RTS estimates from Boeing’s 737 MAX airline customers, we applaud the company for providing clarity on the issue for the benefit of their suppliers as well as airline and leasing customers. The RTS guessing game hasn’t been helpful for anyone and Boeing’s new estimate will give all stakeholders time to streamline their operations over the next six months. Hopefully, the next announcement regarding the MAX will be that it has been fully cleared to return to revenue service.