Story ID: 
Southwest Airlines Delays Max Schedule Again
By: Matt Thurber
Caption: Southwest Airlines expects to have to cut 175 weekday flights through February 8 due to delays in returning the 737 Max to the air.
Word Count: 236
After last revising the schedule to resume flying its Boeing 737 Max fleet through Jan. 5, 2020, Southwest Airlines has extended the delay to its Max schedule to Feb. 8.

The further delay follows the recent release of a report by the Joint Authorities Technical Review panel, which criticized the FAA for not properly assessing Boeing’s proposed certification activities associated with the Boeing 737 Max’s maneuvering characteristics augmentation system (MCAS) due to the agency’s inadequate awareness of the system’s function and its “limited involvement” in oversight. The report also cited “undue pressures” on members of Boeing’s organization designation authorization apparatus performing certification activities on the Max. The panel was charged with examining the circumstances that might have contributed to the crashes of the 737 Maxes in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

According to a statement issued by Southwest Airlines on October 17, “Southwest Airlines continues to monitor information from Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on the impending 737 Max software enhancements and training requirements. We remain confident that, once certified by the FAA, the enhancements will support the safe operation of the Max.”

The airline explained that by proactively addressing the continued absence of its Max fleet, it can “reduce last-minute flight cancellations and unexpected disruptions to our customers' travel plans.” Southwest expects the delays to cause it to eliminate 175 weekday flights from the normal peak-day schedule of more than 4,000 flights.