Boeing's New 737 MAX Aircraft Grounded by Major Carriers Over Software Glitch

Boeing's efforts to certify its new 737 MAX aircraft have hit a snag. Southwest Airlines and United Airlines have informed Boeing that they will not accept any new 737 MAX planes equipped with a software issue that can cause automated vertical navigation to disengage during a specific missed-approach scenario.

The affected software versions are 14 and 14.1, but airlines have assured that their existing MAX aircraft are not impacted. Boeing has stated that the problem does not pose an immediate safety threat and has provided operators with information on reinforcing existing pilot procedures.

Despite this, Boeing is working on a permanent software update while the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) conducts its review of the issue.