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American pushes back expected return of its 737 Max planes

(Frank Franklin II | AP) In a March 13, 2019 file photo, an American Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 sits at a boarding gate at LaGuardia Airport in New York. American Airlines expects to take a $1 billion hit from two things it didn't expect when 2019 started: That its newest Boeing jet would be grounded for months after two deadly crashes, and that oil prices would rise.

By The Associated Press
  | Oct. 9, 2019, 4:00 p.m.
| Updated: 2:51 p.m.

Fort Worth, Texas • American Airlines is pushing back the expected return of its Boeing 737 Max jets into next year.

The airline said Wednesday that it expects to slowly bring the plane back into its schedule starting Jan. 16.

That's six weeks later than American planned just last month, and the sixth time the airline has pushed back the plane's return.

Fort Worth-based American says it will drop about 140 flights per day until mid-January because of the grounding.

American has 24 Max jets in storage and expected to have 40 by the end of the year. American has about 950 jets, not counting smaller American Eagle planes.

The Max was grounded worldwide after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people. Boeing is working on changes to flight-control software and computers.

By The Associated Press