American restarts 737 MAX passenger flights

American restarts 737 MAX passenger flights

[NFA] Boeing's 737 MAX resumed passenger flights in the United States for the first time on Tuesday after a 20-month safety ban was lifted last month.

This report produced by Yahaira Jacquez.

Boeing's troubled 737 MAX plane carried paying passengers for the first time over the United States on Tuesday.

Its first commercial flight in nearly two years after the jet was grounded in the wake of two deadly crashes.

Operated by American Airlines, the plane took off from Miami en route to New York’s Laguardia Airport.

It's another milestone for Boeing as it tries to move past the deepest crisis in its more than 100-year history.

The MAX was grounded globally -- including by U.S. federal officials -- in March 2019 after two fatal crashes killed 346 people.

Since then, Boeing agreed to software upgrades and new safeguards on a key flight control system linked to both crashes.

American Airlines -- the third carrier globally to resume flights -- plans to gradually reintroduce the plane to its fleet.

As for whether Americans will fly on the plane, a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released this week found that with the passage of time, Americans are less familiar with the two fatal 737 MAX crashes, but if made aware of those disasters, more than half say they would probably avoid the aircraft.