Boeing says 737 MAX return delayed

The return of the Boeing 737 MAX has been postponed until mid-2020, months later than the US plane manufacturer earlier anticipated.

Boeing said on Tuesday it was now aiming for a "mid-2020" return for the much-maligned jet which has been grounded since March following two deadly crashes. The company has previously said they expected the plane to be cleared for flying by the end of 2019.

Read more: Third-safest year for flying, German report shows

Boeing told customers and suppliers in a statement "we are currently estimating that the ungrounding of the 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020."

No time frame

On Tuesday, a US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) spokesman reiterated that it had set "no time frame" for the certification of the 737 MAX.

"We continue to work with other safety regulators to review Boeing's work as the company conducts the required safety assessments and addresses all issues that arise during testing," the FAA said.

jsi/se (AFP, dpa, AP)

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