Boeing 737 Max returns to skies for first time in 21 months

Paying passengers flew on a Boeing 737 Max in the US on Tuesday for the first time since safety regulators allowed the plane to fly again after two deadly crashes.

According to an airline spokeswoman, the American Airlines flight from Miami to New York City had about 87 passengers onboard. The flight landed safely just after 1 pm local time, and a return flight was scheduled for later in the afternoon.

The Max was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

Boeing has said it knew there was a problem with the aircraft a year before the crashes but did not take action. A March 2020 congressional report said Boeing promoted a “culture of concealment” and of “grossly inefficient” oversight in attempts to get the Max approved.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was criticized for its role in certifying the aircraft. Recent reports from the US Senate and House identified safety oversight lapses by the agency in its initial certification of the plane.
In November, the FAA cleared the planes again and provided a 115-page directive outlining necessary design changes, training for pilots, and maintenance protocols.