Washington (dpa) - United Airlines is pulling the Boeing 737 MAX jet through June 4, after previously saying the embattled aircraft would be reinstated in March, a spokesperson said on Friday.
The move comes days after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that the recertification process for the 737 MAX jets would extend into next year, suggesting there was still a lengthy process until Boeing's best-selling jet can be cleared for air travel.
Global aviation regulators grounded the aircraft in March after accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia resulted in the deaths of 346 people.
"Moving the return to service date back more than just a month - as we have done previously throughout 2019 - allows us to have more certainty by providing our customers and our operation a firmer and more definitive timeline," a United spokesperson said.
On Monday Boeing said it would temporarily suspend production of the 737 MAX in January.
Boeing said that the company had continued building the plane despite its grounding and there are now approximately 400 jets in storage.
Boeing's statement did not say how long the production halt would last, but noted there would be no layoffs or furloughs at the time.
Boeing is one of the largest exporters in the US. The 737 MAX, produced near Seattle, Washington, is the manufacturer's most important aircraft.
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