Boeing 737 Max: American Airlines schedules training for pilots ahead of its return

The training is scheduled to begin in November

Boeing 737 Max has been grounded worldwide since March 2019 (Getty Images)

American Airlines is said to have scheduled Boeing 737 Max training for its pilots ahead of the jet’s return to service.

Ameya Kingaonkar, director of flight training planning and scheduling, said in a pilot memo seen by CNBC: “With the planned return to service for our B737 MAX aircraft in the near future, we will begin conducting B737 MAX Special Training for our B737 pilots.”

The training is said to be starting from November, with all pilots re-trained by January 2021.

However, with approximately 4,000 pilots requiring retraining before they can fly the Max jets again, the airline expects the number of pilots being retrained to be adjusted closer to the time.

American Airlines spokeswoman Shannon Gilson told The Independent: “We have not made any definitive plans regarding the MAX. 

"We have initiated the pilot training scheduling process, which can be adjusted depending on when the MAX is recertified. We remain in contact with the FAA and Boeing on the recertification process.”

American Airlines is believed to be the first carrier to restart training for its pilots.

The Max jets have been grounded worldwide since March 2019 after two tragic crashes that resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.

A Lion Air flight took off from Jakarta airport on 29 October 2018 and crashed soon after, killing all 189 people on board. Then, on 10 March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Addis Ababa carrying 157 passengers and crew also crashed shortly after take off, killing everyone on board.

A recent report from the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure into the Boeing 737 Max concluded: “Boeing and FAA share responsibility for the development and certification of an aircraft that was unsafe”.

Regulators including the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority and the US Federal Aviation Administration met in London last week to discuss re-certifying the aircraft, but the results have yet to be announced.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said that it’s been working “in close cooperation with the FAA and Boeing, to return the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to service as soon as possible, but only once we are convinced it is safe.”