Southwest removes 737 Max from flight schedule until August

BUSINESS

Southwest removes 737 Max from flight schedule until August

The Associated Press Published Friday, April 12, 2019 8:29AM EDT Last Updated Friday, April 12, 2019 9:21AM EDT

FILE - In this March 14, 2019, file photo, a worker walks next to a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane parked at Boeing Field in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

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Southwest is removing flights with the troubled Boeing 737 Max aircraft from its schedule through Aug. 5, a period that includes the peak of the airline's busy summer travel season.

The company did not specify how many flights would be cancelled because of the new schedule. It removed all 34 of its Max 8 jets from service on March 13 following two deadly crashes involving other airlines. The grounded aircraft account for a small percentage of the more than 750 Boeing 737 models in the airline's fleet.

Regulators around the world have grounded the aircraft and Boeing has been working to fix the plane's technical issues. Airlines have had to scramble to put other aircraft into service while dealing with flight cancellations.

Southwest Airlines has already warned that flight cancellations are cutting into bookings and revenue.

In a press release, Southwest Airlines President Tom Nealon said the amended schedule will affect a limited number of customers "who have already booked their travel."