So far as flights go, the trip from DFW International Airport to Tulsa was as routine as they go. But to observers around the world, the plane was anything but ordinary.
As the Boeing 737 MAX went wheels-up from DFW it marked the first time since March of 2019 that the troubled new-breed of airliner had been vetted.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded the planes worldwide after two crashes of the 737 MAX 8 jets. In both instances, a glitch in computer software caused crews to struggle with a control system that put the planes into nosedives. Experienced pilots were quick to point out that the training that pilots in the Unites States receive would have prevented both disasters.
Still there was much to prove and American Airlines had around 60 orders that needed to be processed before the plane could be recertified to fly.
That Certification of Airworthiness was issued Monday. The flight today is the first step at getting the planes ready to return to service.
"We have tremendous respect for the work American Airlines' maintenance operation has done in preserving the airplanes and preparing them to re-enter service," Capt. Eric Ferguson, president of the Allied Pilots Association said. "They deserve a great deal of credit for helping to ensure the safety and integrity of American Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet."
Getting the planes back to service will take a few more weeks. AA has set December 29 as the date to begin passenger service using the jets.
Southwest Airlines, which has 34 planes that remain grounded, has said it expects to return its planes to passenger service in the second quarter of next year.
