BA Boeing Co

By Andrew Tangel and Doug Cameron 

Boeing Co. on Tuesday pushed back its timetable for regulators to approve the return of the troubled 737 MAX for commercial service, saying it doesn't expect approval until at least the middle of the year.

The company said its new estimate for the Federal Aviation Administration's signoff -- which people briefed on the matter expected in June or July -- takes into account the need for approving training for pilots and "experience to date with the certification process."

The internal target provided to airlines and suppliers is far longer than most airlines and industry analysts expected, leaving the global fleet short of almost 5% of planned capacity for the second peak summer season in a row, adding to the mounting compensation bill faced by Boeing.

The global MAX fleet has been grounded since March last year in the wake of two fatal crashes, with Boeing repeatedly pushing back when it expected regulators to approve changes to its flight control systems and training regimes.

Write to Andrew Tangel at Andrew.Tangel@wsj.com and Doug Cameron at doug.cameron@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 21, 2020 15:25 ET (20:25 GMT)

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