United returns Boeing 737 Max to commercial service after grounding

United Airlines returned the Boeing 737 Max to service on Thursday, the second US carrier to bring the plane back after two fatal crashes caused a worldwide grounding in 2019.

In November, the Federal Aviation Administration lifted the 20-month grounding of planes after Boeing made software and other safety changes to its best-selling aircraft. The resumption of deliveries last year was a relief for Boeing. The grounding of the planes deprived him of cash, a crisis that has been made worse by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the demand for airliners.

United’s first Max flight since the grounding took off from its Denver hub shortly before its scheduled departure time of 7:50 a.m. MT for Houston. United has around 550 flights planned with the Max this month and around 2,000 for March. The Chicago-based airline said it planned to take delivery of 24 Max planes this year and had 14 in the fleet at the time of the grounding in March 2019.

American Airlines became the first American carrier in December to return planes to commercial service with flights from its Miami hub. Last year, Brazilian carrier Gol was the first airline in the world to resume flights with the Max. Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines are expected to resume flying their Max jets next month.