United to ‘gradually’ return PW4000-powered 777s to service from 26 May

At the end of this month, United Airlines plans to begin “gradually” reintroducing to service its 52 Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered Boeing 777s that have been grounded since February 2021 following an in-flight engine failure. Chicago-based United said on 13 May that it expects to once again use the aircraft for revenue services from 26 May, pending approval by the FAA. “We can and will return the 777 to service, but we are still working thorough that with the FAA, Boeing, and Pratt & Whitney,” says United’s chief communications officer Josh Earnest. “We are very respectful of the role that the FAA needs to play to…confirm independently that it is safe to return. The current plan is for us to begin flying that on May 26th, but all of that will depend on the individual assessment of the FAA and we continue to work closely with them on that,” he adds. The aircraft have been kept from flying after one example suffered a blade-out in-flight failure near Denver on 20 February 2021.<br/>