American Airlines Extends Cancellation Timeline For Boeing 737 Max

In a statement released Sunday on their website, American Airline wrote, "American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft this year. We are in continuous contact with... regulatory authorities."

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said, "I expect it's going to take longer than people expect" before the Max is certified to fly again. He said he could not venture a guess as to when that might occur.

The FAA has said it is following a thorough process but has no timetable for when the recertification will be completed. 

The delay of the Max's return to flight has started to affect Boeing's bottom line. Last week, CBS News reported orders for all 737 models — including the Max — fell by more than half through June, according to figures released by Boeing. Additionally, Boeing lost a major deal for Max jets when Flyadeal reversed an earlier plan to buy 50 Boeing 737 Max jets valued at $5.9 billion. The Saudi Arabian budget airline instead chose to purchase Airbus jets. 

The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that fixing the 737 Max's faulty flight-control software and completing other steps to start carrying passengers will likely stretch into 2020. Unnamed officials at the FAA and pilot-union leaders were quoted as saying that no firm timeline has been established but one scenario anticipates the plane could return to the air in January 2020.