EIGHT months since
Ethiopian Airlines’ flight
ET302 crashed on
March 10, airlines around
the world are moving their
Boeing 737 MAX 8 into longterm storage, uncertain of
when the aircraft’s indefinite
grounding will be lifted.
However Boeing remains
hopeful the aircraft will return
to the skies again before the
end of the year.
In March, Boeing advised
it was working on a software
update for the aircraft that
it expected would be ready
as early as April but this
date has been continually
pushed back.
A spokesperson from
Boeing told TNW that
it continued to target
regulatory approval for
the 737 MAX’s return to
service. She added that it
would ultimately be the FAA
and other global regulators
that would determine the
timeline, however.
BA Comair’s first 737 MAX
aircraft was still being held
in storage by Comair, where
it was being maintained daily
by Lufthansa Technik, said a
spokesperson for the airline.
Comair had ordered eight
737 MAX aircraft, prior to
the aircraft’s grounding.
“We are in constant
contact with the
manufacturer and regulators
on when the aircraft might
return to service and will
consider bringing it back into
service only once we have
approval from all the relevant
regulatory authorities.”
He explained that both
the maintenance capacity
constraints and the 737
MAX certification problems
had necessitated Comair
taking short-term ad
hoc aircraft leases but
added that compensation
negotiations with Boeing
would only commence once
the equipment type had
been returned to service.
“We therefore have no idea
of the timing or quantum of
any compensation claim,”
said the spokesperson.
He added that it was
currently expected that once
the 737 MAX came back
into service Comair would
take delivery of a further
two 737 MAX aircraft with
the order of the remaining
five having being deferred
by Comair. No pre-delivery
payments have been
refunded but the ongoing
pre-delivery payments have
been suspended until such
time as the equipment
is re-certified, said the
spokesperson.
“At financial year end,
Comair had a remaining
commitment to Boeing of
R5,2 billion, payable from
2020 to 2024 for Boeing
737 MAX 8 aircraft.”
