Southwest Airlines extends cancellations of Boeing 737 Max flights through early September
Southwest Airlines on Thursday said it decided to pull the grounded Boeing 737 Max from its schedule through the beginning of September.
The move is an extension of the company’s initial plan, which scrapped 737 Max flights through Aug. 5, it said in a news release. The jets were grounded in March following two deadly crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.
“With the timing of the MAX's return-to-service still uncertain, we are again revising our plans to remove the MAX from our schedule through Sept. 2,” Southwest said.
Approximately 100 flights per day will be cancelled, according to the news release. The decision will help curb “last-minute flight cancellations and unexpected disruptions,” and the company will reach out to affected fliers, it added.
Southwest, which has 34 Max jets, expressed confidence in the plane’s safety once its approved by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA).
“Southwest Airlines continues to await guidance from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the impending 737 MAX software enhancements and training requirements,” Southwest said. “We are encouraged by the reported progress and proposed path forward for returning the aircraft to service, and we remain confident that, once certified by the FAA, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the MAX.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LUV | SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. | 31.79 | +0.03 | +0.08% |
| BA | THE BOEING CO. | 143.41 | -2.67 | -1.83% |
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The update from Southwest comes days after American Airlines similarly extended cancellations of its flights on Boeing 737 Max aircraft through Sept. 3
Fox Business’ Matthew Kazin, Joe Williams and The Associated Press contributed to this report.