US: Latest Boeing Max delays imperil return of jet by Christmas

American Airlines and United removed Boeing’s grounded 737 Max from their schedules into December, while other carriers are giving up on getting the narrow-body back in time for the Christmas and New Year holidays. For American, the extension means the cancellation of 140 daily flights through Dec. 3, according to a statement Sunday. While United pulled the Max from its flight plans until Dec. 19, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA is among the major Max customers that isn’t counting on a return to service until 2020, its interim CEO Geir Karlsen said Monday. American said it’s confident software updates and a new training regime devised by Boeing will lead to re-certification of the 737 this year. Southwest, the largest Max operator, has scrubbed the plane from schedules through Jan. 5, while Air Canada is counting it out until Jan. 8 at least. Ryanair, the biggest European customer, said in July it expects to receive barely half of the 58 jets due for next summer, though the delivery schedule is complicated by its order for a higher-density variant. The FAA is likely to conduct its certification flight for the Max in October, people briefed on the matter said last month. That would broadly match Boeing’s estimate that the aircraft will return to service early in Q4.<br/>