Gallery: The Boeing 737 MAX Timeline
May 27, 2021
2010 - 2011 - Re-engining and an FAA certification
2011 - JUL. 20: Faced with the prospect of losing marquee customer American Airlines, Boeing announces it will re-engine the 737 instead of developing a clean-sheet successor later in the decade. American commits to 100 of them.
2012 - JUN. 30: Boeing submits application to U.S. FAA to amend type certificate A16WE to include 737-8.

2016 - 2017 - First flight and certification
2016 - JAN. 29: First flight of the inital version of the MAX, 737-8 1A001.
2017 - MAR. 17: MAX family baseline, the 737-8, certified by U.S. FAA.

2017 - Entry into commercial service
2017 - APR. 13: First flight of second MAX version, the 737-9, 1D001.
2017 - MAY. 22: MAX enters commercial service with Malaysia’s Malindo Air.

2017 - 2018 - Fourth variant and third variant first flight
2017 - JUN. 19: Fourth MAX variant, the 737-10, is launched.
2018 - MAR. 16: First flight of third MAX version, the 737-7, 1E001.

2018 - First 737-9 delivery and Lion Air crash
2018 - MAR. 21: First 737-9 delivered.
2018 - OCT. 29: Lion Air Flight JT610, a three-month-old 737-8, crashes 13 min. after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 on board.

2018 - Bulletin issued and FAA emergency directive warning
2018 - NOV. 6: Boeing issues an operators’ bulletin explaining that “erroneous (angle-of-attack) data” can cause “the pitch trim system [to] trim the stabilizer nose down in increments lasting up to 10 sec.” and references the correct emergency procedures. This is the first public description of the MAX’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), though it is not referenced by name.
Read about the many mistakes Boeing and the FAA made during the MAX’s design and certification.
2018 - NOV. 7: FAA issues emergency directive warning that data from one faulty AOA sensor creates “potential for repeated nose-down trim commands of the horizontal stabilizer.” Operators are ordered to update MAX flight manuals to include Boeing’s Nov. 6 bulletin. The MCAS is not referenced.

2018 - 2019 - Boeing issues bulletin and high-density first flight
2018 - NOV. 10: Boeing issues bulletin to operators with more details about the MCAS and identifies the system by name. Many airlines issue internal bulletins to their pilots. This is how most pilots learn that the MCAS exists.
2019 - JAN. 13: First flight of high-density MAX version, the 737-8 200

2019 - Ethiopian crash, Chinese regulator ban all MAX
2019 - MAR. 10: Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (ET302), a 737-8, crashes 6 min. after takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 on board.
2019 - MAR. 11: Chinese regulators ban all MAX operations. The FAA issues update providing details of Boeing’s planned MCAS software changes, saying it “anticipates mandating these design changes no later than April 2019.”

2019 - Further regulators ban the MAX
2019 - MAR. 12: Regulators in Singapore, Australia and across Europe ban MAX operations. Boeing releases details of planned changes to the MCAS.
2019 - MAR. 13: FAA becomes the last regulator to ban MAX operations, citing refined satellite data and evidence from the ET302 crash site that links the two MAX accidents.

2019 - Delivery and production pause
2019 - MAR. 14: Boeing pauses MAX deliveries.
2019 - APR. 5: Boeing temporarily cuts 737 production to 42 airplanes per month from 52.

2019 - Further issues need to be checked
2019 - MAY. 16: Boeing announces that its MCAS software updates are complete, and it is addressing related requests from the FAA as part of recertifying the MAX.
Read about the details of the MCAS software updates.
2019 - JUN. 26: Boeing confirms that the FAA has requested another flight-control issue be addressed, further delaying a return to service. This issue is not related to the MCAS.

2019 - Boeing announces cost of grounding, threats of totalling ending MAX production
2019 - JUL. 18: Boeing announces $4.9 billion in quarterly charges related to the MAX grounding and customer compensation.
2019 - JUL 24: Boeing warns it could completely suspend MAX production if return-to-service time frame continues to slip.

2019 - 2020 - Boeing reverses stance
2019 - OCT. 25: JT610 final report issued, citing design and certification problems among contributing factors to accident.
2020 - JAN. 7: Boeing reverses years-long stance, endorses simulator training for all MAX pilots, regardless of their experience.
Revamped MAX training prioritizes getting pilots information. Get details here.

2020 - Production pause
2020 - JAN. 10: Internal documents released as part of U.S. government probe show Boeing purposely minimized MCAS’ presence to avoid “greater certification and training impact” and dismissed Lion Air’s concerns that transitioning MAX pilots needed simulator sessions.
2020 - JAN. 20: Boeing pauses MAX production.

2020 - Production resumption
2020 - MAR. 9: Interim report on ET302 cites design, certification and required training failures as contributing factors in accident.
2020 - MAY. 27: Boeing announces resumption of MAX production at low rate.

2020 - FAA certification flights
2020 - JUL. 1: Boeing and FAA complete three days of MAX certification flight tests.
2020 - AUG. 3: FAA issues draft airworthiness directive (AD) outlining required MAX changes.

2020 - Joint Operations Evaluation Board review
2020 - SEPT. 24: Joint Operations Evaluation Board of Brazilian, Canadian, U.S. and European Union regulators completes review of new proposed MAX training.
2020 -OCT. 6: FAA publishes draft Flight Standardization Board (FSB) report outlining revised minimum training for all MAX pilots.

2020 - Minimum training for pilots outlined
2020 - OCT. 6: FAA publishes draft Flight Standardization Board (FSB) report outlining revised minimum training for all MAX pilots.
2020 - NOV. 16: Approved 737 FSB revision 17 is released with new 737 MAX training.

2020 - EASA draft AD for return to service
2020 - NOV. 18: FAA releases AD finalizing required MAX changes and rescinds its operations ban.
2020 - NOV. 24: EASA outlines its proposed return-to-service parameters in a draft AD.

2020 - Deliveries of MAX resumed
2020 - NOV. 25: Brazil’s ANAC approves 737 MAX’s return.
2020 - DEC. 8: Boeing resumes 737 MAX deliveries.

2020 - MAX return to service
2020 - DEC. 9: The 737 MAX returns to service, with Brazil’s GOL operating the first post-grounding revenue flights.
2020 - DEC. 29: American Airlines operates the first U.S. MAX flights post-grounding.

2021 - Canada clears MAX return to service
2021 - JAN. 18: Transport Canada issues its final AD and clears the MAX to return starting Jan. 20.
2021 - JAN. 21: WestJet re-starts 737 MAX service in Canada.

2021 - EASA approves return to service
2021 - JAN. 27: EASA issues AD and approves 737 MAX return to service.
2021 - FEB. 17: TUI becomes the first European operator to return MAXs to revenue service.

2021 - Current state of the MAX fleet
TODAY - Of the 484 MAX in the active fleet, 316 aircraft, or 65% of the total fleet, remain in storage despite recent recertification. Excluding the 97 aircraft in China, 57% of the fleet is currently in storage, according to Jefferies.
Important dates and moments from one of the aircraft in the world's most popular aircraft families, the 737 MAX. From initial conceptualization, to where it sits today, take a look through our gallery to see what key milestones there have been along the way.
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