President Donald Trump said Monday that Boeing should "rebrand" its 737 Max airplane, which has been taken out of passenger service worldwide following two high-profile fatal crashes in recent months. The airline had originally canceled flights with MAX aircraft through April 20th.
The U.S. and other countries grounded Boeing's 737 Max plane in mid-March after deadly plane crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia. The authority recommended the manufacturer to review 737 MAX flight control systems and advise aviation authorities to review if Boeing "adequately" addresses the question. "By extending our cancellations through the summer, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans", American Airlines' executives explained in a statement distributed to team members.
Over the weekend, American Airlines said it would extend its cancellations of 737 MAX flights through August 19.
Boeing is struggling to turn the tide for the popular model which was universally grounded after two crashes left a total 346 people dead and were apparently caused by the same faulty anti-stall system.
The FAA initially said Boeing would complete the software fix "no later than April". "We didn't have to make this decision today", Trump said during the announcement March 13.