American Airlines : An Update on the Boeing 737 MAX

Updated Sept. 1, 2019 at 9 a.m. CT.

Cancellations extended through Dec. 3

American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft this year. We are in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other regulatory authorities.

American is extending cancellations for the MAX through Dec. 3. By doing so, our customers and team members can more reliably plan their upcoming travel on American. In total, approximately 140 flights per day will be canceled through Dec. 3.

Our Reservations and Sales teams will continue to work closely with customers who are impacted by these cancellations.

Frequently asked questions

Q: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?
A: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 140 flights will be canceled per day.

Q: My flight wasn't scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?
A: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Q: How will customers know if they are impacted?
A: American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Q: My flight was canceled and I don't want to rebook. Can I get a refund?
A: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

Updated July 14, 2019 at 9 a.m. CT.

Cancellations extended through Nov. 2.

American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft this year. We are in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other regulatory authorities.

American is extending cancellations for the MAX through Nov. 2. By doing so, our customers and team members can more reliably plan their upcoming travel on American. In total, approximately 115 flights per day will be canceled through Nov. 2.

Our Reservations and Sales teams will continue to work closely with customers who are impacted by these cancellations.

Frequently asked questions

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?
Answer: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 115 flights will be canceled per day.

Question: My flight wasn't scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?
Answer: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Question: How will customers know if they are impacted?
Answer: American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Question: My flight was canceled and I don't want to rebook. Can I get a refund?
Answer: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

Updated June 9, 2019 at 9 a.m. CT.

Cancellations extended through Sept. 3.

American Airlines remains confident that impending software updates to the Boeing 737 MAX, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing in coordination with our union partners, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon. We have been in continuous contact with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and other regulatory authorities, and we are pleased with the progress to date.

In April, American extended cancellations for the MAX through Aug. 19. We are now extending those cancellations through Sept. 3. By extending the cancellations, our customers and team members can more reliably plan their upcoming travel on American. In total, approximately 115 flights per day will be canceled through Sept. 3.

Our Reservations and Sales teams will continue to work closely with customers who are impacted by these cancellations.

Frequently asked questions

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?
Answer: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 115 flights will be canceled per day.

Question: My flight wasn't scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?
Answer: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Question: How will customers know if they are impacted?
Answer: American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Question: My flight was canceled and I don't want to rebook. Can I get a refund?
Answer: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

Updated April 14, 2019 at 9 a.m. CT.

The following message was issued by American's Chairman and CEO Doug Parker and President Robert Isom to American team members on Sunday, April 14:

Dear fellow team members,

As we prepare for summer, our focus is around planning for the busiest travel period of the year. Families everywhere are counting on American Airlines for their summer vacations, family reunions, trips to visit friends and adventures overseas. Our commitment to each other and to our customers is to operate the safest and most reliable operation in our history.

To further that mission, we have made the decision to extend our cancellations for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft through Aug. 19. Based upon our ongoing work with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, we are highly confident that the MAX will be recertified prior to this time. But by extending our cancellations through the summer, we can plan more reliably for the peak travel season and provide confidence to our customers and team members when it comes to their travel plans. Once the MAX is recertified, we anticipate bringing our MAX aircraft back on line as spares to supplement our operation as needed during the summer.

The planning team is working on this action now and in total, approximately 115 flights per day will be canceled through Aug. 19. These 115 flights represent approximately 1.5 percent of American's total flying each day this summer.

We remain confident that the impending software updates, along with the new training elements Boeing is developing for the MAX, will lead to recertification of the aircraft soon. We have been in continuous contact with the FAA, Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), other regulatory authorities and are pleased with the progress so far.

Our Reservations and Sales teams will continue to work closely with customers to manage their travel plans, and we appreciate their outstanding efforts to care for our customers. Your professionalism and care for customers is second to none, and we thank you for all you do every day for our customers and for each other.

Frequently asked questions

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?
Answer: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 115 flights will be canceled per day.

Question: My flight wasn't scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?
Answer: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Question: How will customers know if they are impacted?
Answer: American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Question: My flight was canceled and I don't want to rebook. Can I get a refund?
Answer: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

Updated April 7, 2019 at 9 a.m. CT.

American continues to await information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), other regulatory authorities and Boeing that would permit the 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in our fleet to resume flying.

In an effort to provide more certainty and avoid last minute flight disruptions, American has extended cancellations through June 5. This will result in the cancellation of approximately 90 flights each day based on our current schedule. By proactively canceling these flights, we are able to provide better service to our customers with availability and rebooking options.

American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. We know these cancellations and changes may affect some of our customers, and we are working to limit the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Frequently asked questions

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX. Will it be canceled?
Answer: Not all flights that were previously scheduled on a MAX will be canceled, as we plan to substitute other aircraft types. In total, approximately 90 flights will be canceled per day.

Question: My flight wasn't scheduled to be on a MAX. Why has it been canceled?
Answer: A flight that was not scheduled as a MAX flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX route with a different aircraft. Our goal is to minimize the impact to the smallest number of customers.

Question: How will customers know if they are impacted?
Answer: American's Reservations team will contact affected customers directly by email or telephone. Customers who booked through a travel agent will be contacted by their agency directly.

Question: My flight was canceled and I don't want to rebook. Can I get a refund?
Answer: Yes. If a flight is canceled and a customer chooses to not be rebooked, they may request a full refund by visiting aa.com/refunds.

Updated March 14, 2019 at 4 p.m. CT.

On March 13, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded all U.S.-registered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, including the 8 and 9 variants, as a precautionary measure. This includes the 24 MAX 8 aircraft in the American Airlines fleet. We are complying with the FAA directive.

• On average, American operates 85 flights per day on the MAX 8, out of 6,700 departures throughout the American Airlines system. Our operations center is working to re-route aircraft throughout the system to cover as much of our schedule as we can.
• The safety and security of our team members and our customers remains our top priority. We continue to have the utmost confidence in our fleet, which is flown by our highly-trained pilots and maintained by our highly-skilled maintenance team.
• American regularly monitors aircraft performance and safety parameters across our entire fleet, including extensive flight data collection. This data, along with our analysis, gives us confidence in the safe operation of all of our aircraft, and contributes to American's exemplary safety record. American has flown more than 2.5 million passengers - during 46,400 operating hours encompassing nearly 18,000 flights - safely on our MAX 8 fleet since the first one was delivered Sept. 2017 and began commercial service later that November.
• We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause some of our customers. Our team will work with all customers impacted by these flight cancellations in order to rebook them to their final destination. Affected customers can rebook by contacting our reservations team. If a flight is canceled, customers may request a full refund by visiting our website. Customers who booked through a travel agent are requested to contact their agency directly.
• American is working in close coordination with our union partners, the Department of Transportation, FAA, National Transportation Safety Board and other regulatory authorities, as the safety of our team members and customers is always our number one priority.

Frequently asked questions

Question: Is the Boeing 737-800 aircraft different than the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft?
Answer: Yes. American has 304 737-800 aircraft in our fleet. The recent order by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ground MAX aircraft does not impact our 737-800 fleet.

Question: My flight was previously scheduled on a MAX 8 and it has not been canceled. What should I do?
Answer: American has re-routed aircraft throughout our network to cover as much of the MAX 8 schedule as we can. If your flight shows on time, American will operate your flight with a different aircraft. No additional action is required.

Question: My flight is on time, and still shows as a MAX 8 on aa.com and in your mobile app. Is that wrong and will my flight cancel?
Answer: If your flight shows as on time, please disregard the equipment type listed. American continues to re-route aircraft, and your flight will operate with a different aircraft that is not a MAX 8.

Question: I was booked on a flight that was not scheduled to operate as a MAX 8 and now it is canceled. Why am I impacted?
Answer: American has re-routed aircraft throughout our network. For example, a flight that was not scheduled as a MAX 8 flight might be canceled to enable our team to cover a MAX 8 route with a different aircraft. These decisions are being made in order to impact the smallest number of customers. We apologize for the inconvenience this may cause some of our customers.

Question: What markets are impacted?
Answer: We won't be able to provide specific airport-by-airport cancellations as a result of the FAA order. Cancellations will vary as our team has rerouted aircraft throughout our network.

Question: My flight was canceled. What do I do next?
Answer: Our team will work with all customers impacted by these flight cancellations in order to rebook them to their final destination. Affected customers can rebook by contacting our reservations team. If a flight is canceled, customers may request a full refund by visiting our website. Customers who booked through a travel agent are requested to contact their agency directly.

Question: When will the operation be back to normal?
Answer: Once the FAA lifts the order, we will work as quickly as we can to get all aircraft back into our fleet, but the timing is unknown at this point.

About American Airlines Group
American Airlines and American Eagle offer an average of nearly 6,700 flights per day to nearly 350 destinations in more than 50 countries. American has hubs in Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. American is a founding member of the oneworld® alliance, whose members serve more than 1,000 destinations with about 14,250 daily flights to over 150 countries. Shares of American Airlines Group Inc. trade on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAL. In 2015, its stock joined the S&P 500 index. Connect with American on Twitter @AmericanAir and at Facebook.com/AmericanAirlines.