American Airlines on Tuesday flew a Boeing 737 Max from Miami to New York with paying passengers on board, making the first commercial flight almost 2 years after the worldwide grounding of the troubled aircraft.
American flight 718 carried about 100 passengers and landed Tuesday afternoon at LaGuardia Airport, according to an airline spokeswoman.
Boeing's 737 MAX jets have been grounded across the globe since early March last year following more evidence emerging indicated that its key flight control software played a part in two deadly air crashes in less than one year.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in November this year rescinded the order that halted commercial operations of Boeing 737 MAX, a move that allowed airlines under the FAA's jurisdiction, including those in the United States, to take the steps necessary to resume service and Boeing to begin making deliveries.
After resuming the scheduled service with one round trip from Miami to New York through Jan. 4. The company expected to "gradually phase more 737 MAX aircraft into revenue service throughout January, with up to 36 departures from our Miami hub depending on the day of the week."
Passengers on all of American's Max flights will be given advance warning, with the option to rebook, American Airlines said.
"If a customer doesn't want to fly on the 737 MAX, they won't have to... We'll provide flexibility to ensure they can be easily re-accommodated," the company said in an earlier statement.
