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The flight from Miami to New York is the first in the United States after regulators lifted a 20-month safety ban on the plane.
The Boeing 737 MAX resumed passenger flights in the United States for the first time on Tuesday after a 20-month safety ban was lifted last month.
American Airlines Flight 718 took off from Miami around 10:40 a.m. bound for New York’s LaGuardia Airport and is expected to land around 1:08 p.m., according to several flight tracking websites.
American Airlines and aircraft maker Boeing have sought to reassure the public about the plane’s safety after US regulators cleared flights to resume in November.
The American Airlines flight on Tuesday morning has about 100 passengers on board, according to an airline spokesperson. The airline will give customers the option to change flights if they don’t want to travel with the MAX.
Last month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes Boeing made to an automated flight control system involved in crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed a total of 346 people.
In both crashes, the system repeatedly pushed the nose down due to faulty sensor readings, and the pilots were unable to regain control.
Regulators in Europe and Brazil have also allowed airlines to resume use of the aircraft if they make certain changes and provide additional training for pilots.
The first passenger flight with a revamped MAX took place this month in Brazil. Brazilian companies Gol Airlines and Aeromexico have operated dozens of MAX flights.
The MAX was grounded around the world in March 2019, days after the second crash. Reports from House and Senate committees blamed Boeing and the FAA for failures in the aircraft’s certification process.
FAA administrator Stephen Dickson, a former military and airline pilot, carried out a test flight in September and vouched for the plane’s safety, saying he would place his family there.
The American plans to make one round trip a day between Miami and New York with planes until January 4 before putting the MAX on more routes.
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