Holiday giant TUI has said it will travel to the US to meet Boeing executives as the plane-maker seeks to return its stricken 737 MAX jet to service after two fatal crashes.
TUI told HuffPost UK a team of “management pilots” would attend a specially-convened conference this week near Boeing’s headquarters in Renton, Washington state, alongside other airlines.
The German-based firm owns 15 of the planes, with five within its UK operation. A sixth MAX was due to be delivered two weeks ago. The firm uses the type on routes across Europe.
The reassurance session on Wednesday is part of Boeing’s plan to reach all current and many future 737 MAX operators and their home regulators to discuss software and training updates to the jet, Boeing said in a statement.
It comes after two brand-new 737 MAX jets crashed in short succession, killing a total of 346 people, in apparently similar circumstances.
The first fatal crash, in Indonesia last October, prompted Boeing to pursue a software update to prevent the plane from overriding pilots in certain circumstances.
The second, in Ethiopia two weeks ago, prompted regulators across the world to ground the MAX, a more fuel-efficient version of Boeing’s successful 737 franchise that first flew in 2016.
Both planes crashed after erratic movements were recorded immediately after take-off. The New York Times reported the issue onboard the crashed Indonesian plane, operated by Lion Air, “created a tug of war between the plane and the pilots”.
Boeing told Reuters news agency that Wednesday’s event was one of a series of in-person information sessions.
“We have been scheduling and will continue to arrange additional meetings to communicate with all current and many future MAX customers and operators,” the company said.
The manufacturer is fighting to keep its flagship MAX project alive after Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia, cancelled orders for the jet worth billions of dollars last week.
Boeing has previously said software improvements instigated after the Indonesian crash will help pilots regain control in situations where automatic systems take over.
Until its worldwide grounding, many airlines using the MAX refused to refund passengers booked onto flights operated by the plane.
Travel experts said travellers had little rights to statutory compensation should they refuse to board a MAX jet.
Britain’s aviation regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, told HuffPost it was not attending this week’s Boeing meeting.