United, American carry out repairs on Boeing 737 MAX planes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -United Airlines said Wednesday it has completed repairs on its 17 Boeing 737 MAX planes that were grounded over an electrical problem, while American Airlines said it has completed repairs on 14 of 18 737 MAX planes in its fleet.

Boeing last Wednesday sent affected carriers service bulletins on how to address the production issue that could have interfered with some critical systems after the fixes were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The action was a relief for American carriers, which have more than 65 of the 109 aircraft affected worldwide and were eager to get planes back into the air before the summer travel season.

Boeing resumed deliveries of its best-selling 737 MAX on Wednesday, following approval of the fix for the electrical grounding issue, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

U.S. air travel demand is rising as more Americans get vaccinated. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration screened 1.85 million passengers on Sunday at U.S. airports, the highest number since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic slashed travel demand.

(Reporting by David ShepardsonEditing by Chizu Nomiyama and Richard Pullin)

By David Shepardson