The Boeing 737 MAX flies again

The Brazilian company GOL Linhas Aereas, became the first airline to fly a Boeing 737 MAX last Wednesday, December 9, after almost two years.

Image courtesy of CNN

After 20 months without operating and many revisions, the Boeing 737 MAX returns to fly with 186 passengers and seven cabin crew, all with a mask to combat COVID-19. Since March 2019, this model had stopped being used on official flights, because of two accidents that claimed several victims.

Flight G3 4104, carried out by the GOL airline, departed from São Paulo airport to Porto Alegre, Brazil. A journey of less than two hours that was completed successfully, and could be monitored from platforms such as FlightRadar24 or Flight Stats. 

The Brazilian airline expects the 737 MAX to perform at least seven more flights, without complications, before the end of 2020; In addition, they have reported that they expect to receive 95 aircraft of this model between 2022 and 2032.

“We have followed the most intensive safety review in the history of commercial aviation. Our priority is the safety of our clients. In the last 20 months, safety tests have been developed together with regulatory bodies and airlines around the world, to supervise and contribute to the updates of aircraft systems and the training of pilots”, said Celso Ferrer, vice president of GOL operations.

 In the United States, the first commercial flight with a 737 MAX is scheduled for December 29 by American Airlines between New York and Miami.