Southwest Airlines Says 737 MAX Fleet Remains Operational Amid Boeing's Glitch Warning

Southwest Airlines is not expecting any disruption of its flight schedule as the company's Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet of 26 aircraft remains operational following the plane manufacturer's bulletin warning air carriers about potential malfunction of the flight-control software in light of last week's Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia, the airlines' spokesperson said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2018) Southwest Airlines is not expecting any disruption of its flight schedule as the company's Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet of 26 aircraft remains operational following the plane manufacturer's bulletin warning air carriers about potential malfunction of the flight-control software in light of last week's Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia, the airlines' spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, Boeing issued a safety bulletin for operators of its 737 MAX aircraft, warning them about potentially incorrect data provided by the aircraft's angle of attack sensors, which are responsible for showing how the airplane's nose is pointed and may erroneously command an abrupt dive. Same day, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an emergency directive on 246 Boeing 737 Max aircraft around the world.

According to the spokesperson, the company has reviewed thoroughly the guidance issued by Boeing and the FAA and determined its existing 737 MAX 8 operating procedures to address the possible malfunction.

"To underscore our Safety commitment, we are taking steps to highlight existing procedures to more than 9,500 Southwest Pilots who operate our 737 MAX 8 fleet. We will continue to work closely with Boeing and the FAA to maintain the integrity of our fleet and validate our operating practices. Southwest's MAX 8 fleet of 26 aircraft remains operational, and we do not expect any disruption to our schedule as a result of this extra communication or the directive," the spokesperson said in a statement obtained by Sputnik.

Lion Air Flight JT610, en route to the Indonesian city of Pangkal Pinang, lost contact with air traffic control on October 29 shortly after departing from Jakarta. The plane later fell into the Java Sea, killing all 189 people on board.