- Boeing's 737 Max jet, which crashed in Indonesia in October and Ethiopia in March, will potentially be grounded until 2020, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- The development of new software and pilot trainings have been repeatedly delayed, and American Airlines has removed the model from its flight roster through early November.
- The jet was originally supposed to be back in the air in September.
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Boeing's 737 Max might remain grounded through the rest of 2019.
The model, which was grounded by almost every major country after a plane crash in Ethiopia killed 157 people in March, was originally supposed to return to the skies in September but a report from the Wall Street Journal Saturday states that the grounding might extend into 2020.
The article says software improvements and pilot trainings have been repeatedly delayed, and American Airlines said Sunday that the plane model won't be on the schedule through at least early November. United had several delays recently because they also took the plane out of its rotation until November.
After the Ethiopia crash and the earlier crash in Indonesia, Boeing made a software fix as both crashes were found to have been tied to the plane's anti-stall system. The slow installation and subsequent pilot trainings have hamstrung airlines reliant on the planes during one of the busiest summers for travel ever. TSA said that eight of the 10 busiest days it has ever had have come since May.
American said earlier this week that the grounding of the jet has cost them $185 million in lost income in just the second quarter alone. Delta is one of the few major airlines that does not use the model, and analysts and company executives have said that is a key reason for the company's solid earnings report.
Senior leadership at the aircraft manufacturer and FAA officials believe there's still a chance for the planes to be back by the fall, but the Journal article predicts that 2020 is the most likely scenario.
Boeing's stock, currently trading at a little more than $359 a share, has fallen by more than nearly $100 since its 2019 high of more than $440 a share in early March. After the second crash in Ethiopia, the company's stock fell as low as $337 a share but has since rebounded.
See more: United says it's cancelling Boeing 737 Max flights through November 3
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