American Airlines resumed use of Boeing 737 Max planes on Tuesday after temporarily removing the aircraft from the skies.
The flight, American Flight 718, departed from Miami International Airport at 10:32 a.m. and is scheduled to arrive at LaGuardia Airport in New York City at 1:30 p.m. The aircraft will then complete its round trip voyage by returning to Florida. The company’s president, Robert Isom, is scheduled to be on board both flights, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The 737 Max was pulled from service after the aircraft was involved in two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The crashes, which occurred in October 2018 and March 2019, resulted in the deaths of 346 passengers.
For American, the reinstatement of the Max will bring an important financial windfall. The aircraft accounts for 80% of the company’s backlog of 5,121 orders, according to Bloomberg. Returning the plane to regular use will be critical in fulfilling those orders.
“Boeing’s success in the 2020s rests in large part on reviving the 737 Max,” Seth Seifman, an analyst with JPMorgan Chase & Co., told clients in an email sent in November.
American insisted that the aircraft’s revival was done in accordance with the highest safety standards. The jet was only approved for renewed service by the Federal Aviation Administration after Boeing upgraded the flight control system responsible for both crashes.
“We would have never brought this back if the pilots and flight attendants didn’t feel comfortable,” said American Airlines COO David Seymour during a press conference earlier in December.
The FAA’s decision was criticized by the families of those who died in the crashes and who argued that the plane is too dangerous to be reinstated.
“The more that is uncovered about the development of the Boeing 737 Max, the more distrust unfolds from the families and the flying public,” said Robert Clifford, an attorney representing the families of 72 people who died in the Max crashes.
The surviving relatives encouraged would-be passengers to read up on the aircraft’s history before booking a flight.
“I call on anyone looking to book a flight in the future to understand when they buy their ticket what type of airplane will be used so they can make an informed decision for themselves and their loved ones,” said Yalena Lopez-Lewis, whose husband, Antoine Lewis, died on the Ethiopian Airlines crash.
