Boeing's global fleet of 737 MAX aircraft was grounded after two 737 MAX planes crashed within six months of each other - the first in Indonesia in October 2018 and the second in Ethiopia in March 2019, killing a combined 346 people on board both airplanes. American Airlines said in a statement on Sunday that it is removing its entire 737 Max fleet from its flight schedules through 3 September, later than the previously reported 19 August. In May the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hosted foreign regulators to discuss the process of clearing the 737 MAX aircraft for commercial service, but the meeting failed to produce a specific timeline. Investigations into the deadly incidents are underway, but experts reportedly suggest the failure of the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was the reason for the crashes. READ MORE: FAA Says Boeing 737 MAX Jets May Have Some Faulty PartsThe Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the global 737 MAX fleet could remain grounded for at least another two months.

Source: Ethiopian News June 09, 2019 22:01 UTC