US: Southwest and American Airlines to extend grounding of Boeing 737 MAX through April 2020 /update 3

Event

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have announced that they would continue to ground the Boeing 737 MAX model through at least April 2020. Southwest Airlines stated the measure will be implemented until Tuesday, April 14, and that the company it would cancel 300 flights per day due to the model's grounding. American Airlines has issued a Tuesday, April 7 limit. The Federal Aviation Administration recently announced it would not be able to complete the model's review by the end of 2019, which was expected by Boeing and the airlines affected.

Context

Boeing and various international aviation authorities recommended the temporary suspension of all Model 737 MAX aircraft worldwide on Wednesday, March 13, after the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 on Sunday, March 10, which killed all 157 people onboard a Boeing Model 737 MAX 8. All Boeing Model 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded worldwide.

Advice

Individuals traveling with Southwest Airlines and American Airlines over the next several months are advised to confirm their flight reservations.