Boeing Puts 737 Max Jet Back Into Air For Demonstration Flight
For the first time since March of 2019, passengers flew on a 737-Max jet.
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For the first time since March of 2019, passengers flew on a 737-Max jet.
Chicago-based Boeing's 737 Max airplane is returning to the skies. But for those who lost loved ones in the crashes, the move is premature.
The process of approving the plane to carry passengers has stretched on far longer than originally expected and cost Boeing more than $20 billion.
The aircraft maker had already announced was reducing staff by 16,000 jobs earlier this year, through a combination of voluntary and involuntary layoffs.
American Airlines said, upon receiving FAA recertification, it will begin phasing the 737 Max back into service with once-a-day flights between New York and Miami from Dec. 29 through Jan. 4.
FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson, a pilot who flew for the military and Delta Air Lines, was expected to sit in the captain's seat during a two-hour flight. An FAA spokesman said Boeing pilots would also be on the plane when it takes off from the former Boeing Field in the Seattle area.
Boeing has found a problem with the manufacturing of the 787 Dreamliner, the widebody jet that is one of the most successful products of the troubled aircraft maker.
The coronavirus pandemic has devastated air travel, leaving airlines with more planes than they need.
More trouble is in the air for Boeing. The FAA wants the plane maker to pay a fine of more than $1 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration proposed software changes to a flight-control system implicated in two deadly 737 Max crashes. It also plans to require a warning light to pilots that wasn't working on the planes that crashed, changes to on-board computers, and the rerouting of some wiring.
Boeing said COVID-19 hurt demand for new planes.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday that "in the near future" it will issue a proposed safety directive for the plane. The agency gave no indication, however, of when it might lift its March 2019 order that grounded the plane.
American has orders for 76 Max jets, but wants Boeing to help arrange financing for 17 planes for which previous financing has or will soon expire.
Boeing shielded from federal regulators reviewing its 737 Max aircraft the extent and capability of the flawed computer system that ultimately brought down two jets, according to an inspector general report obtained by CNN.
Boeing has received clearance to begin test flights of its troubled 737 Max jet, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration said Sunday. The test flights of could begin as early as Monday.
The problem is not related to the flight-control system that pushed planes into nosedives before two deadly Max crashes. The crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people.
The company temporarily stopped building the plane in January, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit most of the world's airlines.
A Boeing spokesperson said the actions represent the largest number of job cuts, but several thousand additional jobs will be eliminated in the next few months.
The COVID-19 outbreak has caused global air traffic to plummet and compounded a crisis at Boeing Co. that began with two fatal crashes and the grounding of its best-selling plane, the 737 Max.
"The demand for commercial airline travel has fallen off a cliff," said Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun. "The pandemic is also delivering a body blow to our business."
Boeing's CEO said Monday that it will take years for the aircraft-building business to return to levels seen before the coronavirus pandemic, which has slowed air travel to a trickle and led airlines to park 2,800 jets.
Thousands of Boeing workers are back on the job in Washington state with new procedures to keep them safe from COVID-19.
The company said 27,000 workers are due to return in a phased-in process, with some starting as early as Monday. Most should be back at work by Friday, April 24. Boeing said it will take steps needed to protect their safety.
In a memo to employees, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the company is offering voluntary layoff packages that will provide exiting employees with pay and benefits.
The aerospace giant is among the companies that would qualify for the government-backed loans reserved "for businesses critical to maintaining national security," and the only one that has made it clear that it needs the assistance.
A drug cartel member has been sentenced to 9 years in prison after she pleaded guilty earlier this year to smuggling immigrants in from Mexico and forcing them to work to pay off their "debts" while holding them captive.
A Chicago man with a fragrance YouTube channel is facing charges of mail fraud and theft for allegedly buying luxury perfumes online, swapping the bottles for modeling clay, then resealing and returning them for a refund.
Kane said he feels strong three years after undergoing a major hip resurfacing surgery and rehabbing his way back for three solid seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said Romo was pulled over around 6 p.m. on Thursday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has purchased commercial spyware that can covertly take control of phones, collect messages, photos and location information.
A new lawsuit argues that Wisconsin's elections commission is wrongly blocking absentee voters from canceling their ballots and requesting new ones, with nearly 91,000 ballots already returned ahead of the Aug. 11 primary.
The Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission voted on Thursday to publish a report outlining details of the investigation that led to state Rep. Harry Benton (D-Chicago) to resign his post earlier this month.
Voters in Chicago will have a chance to decide in November if the city should go after the federal government for money spent dealing with the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown and Operation Midway Blitz.
The Secret Service said a member of Vice President JD Vance's detail is under investigation for "compromising operational and information security."
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
Aurora police release this surveillance video which they say shows an SUV believed to be involved in a hit-and-run in late June, moments before the incident happened.
Former President Barack Obama greeted WNBA All Stars before their practice at his presidential center's Home Court facility Friday, telling him he inaugurated the regulation NBA basketball court with a game of H.O.R.S.E.... which he lost.
Sunny and warmer Friday with highs in the low 80s.
President Trump is looking to continue attacks on Iran, despite concerns over how quickly the U.S. is using its limited military resources.
A small seaplane made an emergency landing near the San Juan Islands and caught fire. The pilot and passengers are all accounted for.
United Airlines has scrapped plans to start offering flights from Chicago O'Hare to 10 regional airports, blaming the move on an order to cap flights.
A Chicago man with a fragrance YouTube channel is facing charges of mail fraud and theft for allegedly buying luxury perfumes online, swapping the bottles for modeling clay, then resealing and returning them for a refund.
A drug cartel member has been sentenced to 9 years in prison after she pleaded guilty earlier this year to smuggling immigrants in from Mexico and forcing them to work to pay off their "debts" while holding them captive.
The cyclosporiasis outbreak, the nation's largest, is currently affecting nine states.
Kane said he feels strong three years after undergoing a major hip resurfacing surgery and rehabbing his way back for three solid seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Chicago has been feeling the heat this week, with highs in the 90s the past five days, but officials are making moves to cool off some of the hottest parts of the city, specifically Chicago Park District fieldhouses where many turn to keep cool.
Gene Rush survived throat cancer, but he didn't survive a trip to the Porter County Jail over 4th of July weekend. His family said jail staff failed to provide lifesaving medical care.
Kane said he feels strong three years after undergoing a major hip resurfacing surgery and rehabbing his way back for three solid seasons with the Detroit Red Wings.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office said Romo was pulled over around 6 p.m. on Thursday.
Brianna Turner said on social media that her former team, the Indiana Fever, fired a male employee last season for sexual harassment.
Former President Barack Obama surprised the WNBA All-Stars before their practice at his new Presidential Center on Friday.
The biggest stars of the WNBA are arriving in Chicago for this weekend's All-Star Game, but before that, dozens of kids took to the court to learn from some former pros on the South Side.
Madison, Wisconsin remains one of the only cities of its size without a police body camera program, leaving key moments of a fatal officer-involved shooting unrecorded.
A man was killed and a teenage boy was wounded in a shooting on Thursday evening in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago.
A man and a woman were found shot and killed inside a car on Thursday evening on the University of Chicago campus in the Hyde Park neighborhood.
Madison's chief of police says an officer in Wisconsin's capital city shot and killed a man who had injured him with a knife while resisting arrest.
Three men have been convicted of a string of violent robberies targeting liquor stores, convenience stores, and bars in Chicago in 2023 and 2024.
