(VOVWORLD) - Boeing’s 737 MAX has staged its first post-grounding flight with media on board, as carriers seek to demonstrate to passengers that the redesigned jet is safe after a 20-month safety ban.
 A Boeing 737 Max airplane is pictured on the tarmac at Dallas Fort Worth Airport following a media flight to Tulsa, Oklahoma in Dallas, Texas, U.S., December 2, 2020. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri) |
In another display of confidence, European budget airline Ryanair was set to place a hefty order for up to 75 additional 737 MAX jets, industry sources said.
Wednesday’s American Airlines 737 MAX flight was a 45-minute hop from Dallas, Texas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. It comes weeks before the first commercial passenger flight on Dec. 29, and is part of a public relations effort to allay any concerns about the aircraft.
Boeing’s best-selling jet was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes in five months killed a combined 346 people, marking the industry’s worst safety crisis in decades and undermining US aviation regulatory leadership.