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.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed a one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers in Chicago to come up with a plan for regulating the controversial facilities, but one alderman is pushing to move faster on regulating the industry.
Dozens of people officially became American citizens at a ceremony at Wrigley Field Wednesday.
Scammers are now impersonating the patient portal MyChart, using realistic-looking emails, texts, and websites to try to steal personal information and, in some cases, get malware on your computer.
McDonald's said Wednesday it will spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its restaurants globally.
Don Cooper, a former longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach and 2005 World Series champion, has died at the age of 70.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed a one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers in Chicago to come up with a plan for regulating the controversial facilities, but one alderman is pushing to move faster on regulating the industry.
Chicago U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez announced she is introducing a new bill that proposes dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and abolishing ICE and redirecting their funding to more social services.
Sendhil Revuluri is running for Board of Education president because, in his words, "we need to put our students at the center of everything we're doing.
The Justice Department claimed that reporting from CNN, MS NOW and Politico raises national security concerns and accused their journalists of failing to act with "professionalism and decorum."
Chicago mayoral candidate Bill Quinlan has filed a lawsuit seeking to keep three rivals off the ballot, arguing they shouldn't be allowed to run for mayor while also running for re-election to their current positions.
Scammers are now impersonating the patient portal MyChart, using realistic-looking emails, texts, and websites to try to steal personal information and, in some cases, get malware on your computer.
Fuel prices continue to climb across the country, and that has U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) pointing the finger at President Trump.
Nicor customers will get a break on their bills this fall after Illinois Attorney General Kwame Roul reached an agreement with the utility to cut $140 million from its requested rate hike.
Drivers in Chicago and beyond were paying the highest gas prices ever recorded for the Labor Day holiday as millions of Americans were making their way home on Monday.
Around 115 million domestic and international tourists visited Illinois last year, pushing visitor spending past $50 billion for the first time and generating more than $88 billion in total economic impact.
A new Illinois law lets terminally ill patients request a lethal prescription to end their lives, making the state the 13th in the U.S. — and the first in the Midwest — to permit it.
Nearly half of Americans with medical debt owe at least $2,000, forcing them to make tough choices, new research shows.
A judge on Tuesday was expected to place two shuttered Chicago-area safety-net hospitals into receivership.
Cardinal Blase Cupich and a group of Catholic nuns have joined a federal lawsuit challenging Illinois' Medical Aid in Dying law, which is set to take effect in just over a week.
Flies have been everywhere this summer in the Chicago area, and some of them bite. But why is this happening?
McDonald's said Wednesday it will spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its restaurants globally.
The future of Rate Field was back in the spotlight on Wednesday.
Plans for a new Chicago White Sox stadium in the South Loop have residents near the existing ballpark in Bridgeport concerned, not just because the team might be leaving, but also what might be coming nearby.
A new report from the University of Illinois Chicago said federal immigration enforcement led to $1.26 billion in unspent money at retail establishments and restaurants in Cook County.
Around 115 million domestic and international tourists visited Illinois last year, pushing visitor spending past $50 billion for the first time and generating more than $88 billion in total economic impact.
An autopsy by the Greenville County Coroner's Office determined Hayden Panettiere's death was due to an accidental overdose of several drugs, including fentanyl.
Nike-owned Converse acknowledged that an ad for its Chuck Taylor sneaker is "deeply upsetting."
Presley Gerber, the son of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, has died at 27, a family spokesperson has confirmed.
Duncan Sheik died on Thursday night, his family said.
Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas all released statements Tuesday on Instagram saying they were withdrawing from Ed Sheeran's tour.
A federal judge is considering whether President Trump had a right to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The Justice Department argues the three media outlets pose a national security threat.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed a one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers in Chicago to come up with a plan for regulating the controversial facilities, but one alderman is pushing to move faster on regulating the industry.
McDonald's said Wednesday it will spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its restaurants globally.
Dozens of people officially became American citizens at a ceremony at Wrigley Field Wednesday.
President Trump is welcoming China’s president to Washington on Wednesday evening. The summit is expected to focus on big topics from trade to artificial intelligence and the ongoing war with Iran.
Boise police have identified a man known as the "Unknown Wanderer" who was found dead in a church in 1982, and revealed a possible link to the Chicago Tylenol murders.
Don Cooper, a former longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach and 2005 World Series champion, has died at the age of 70.
Scammers are now impersonating the patient portal MyChart, using realistic-looking emails, texts, and websites to try to steal personal information and, in some cases, get malware on your computer.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has proposed a one-year moratorium on new or expanded data centers in Chicago to come up with a plan for regulating the controversial facilities, but one alderman is pushing to move faster on regulating the industry.
Dozens of people officially became American citizens at a ceremony at Wrigley Field Wednesday.
Crown Point native Chris Payne was arrested for the 2018 sexual assault of a woman, which he has adamantly claimed from the beginning that he had nothing to do with.
A Chicago nonprofit is suing its former president, accusing him of illegally diverting millions of dollars in charitable funds and jeopardizing the charity's future in fighting homelessness.
They're not regular donuts, they're quantum donuts. That's the pitch from a business hoping to get more dough as a massive new quantum computing campus continues construction in South Chicago.
The village of Grayslake is touting a new massive data center, but neighbors say they weren't given an opportunity to make their voices heard before the project was approved.
A Cicero woman is suing Uber and a driver after the driver allegedly sexually assaulted her. She and her boyfriend said Uber hired him despite the driver having a criminal background.
Don Cooper, a former longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach and 2005 World Series champion, has died at the age of 70.
The Cubs (87-70) could have clinched a playoff berth with a win or an Arizona loss, but the Diamondbacks won 7-2 at Colorado.
Gabriela Jaquez and Sydney Taylor scored 18 points apiece and Kamilla Cardoso added 17.
Brenton Doyle and Munetaka Murakami added home runs for the White Sox, who also helped their wild-card cause should they fail to catch Cleveland.
The Medinah County Club has been transformed into a massive international sporting venue as 24 pro golfers will compete in two teams.
Boise police have identified a man known as the "Unknown Wanderer" who was found dead in a church in 1982, and revealed a possible link to the Chicago Tylenol murders.
A Mundelein, Illinois, high school teacher and volleyball coach appeared in court Wednesday morning on charges of making an unauthorized video recording of a minor.
A third person stood charged Wednesday in an incident in which a man was shoved off a Chicago Transit Authority Red Line train and killed.
Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie mogul, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Wednesday morning for sexually assaulting Miriam Haley at his Manhattan apartment in 2006.
A driver has been charged with murder after police said he intentionally hit two pedestrians on Sunday in southwest suburban Yorkville, killing one of them.