Royal Air Maroc denies B737 MAX order cancellation plans

Royal Air Maroc (AT, Casablanca Int'l) has refuted reports in the international press that claimed it had cancelled plans to take delivery of two more B737-8s.

The Moroccan national carrier has been awaiting delivery of CN-MAW (msn 60010) and CN-MAZ (msn 60009) from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O'Hare) since June of this year, events that have been indefinitely delayed given the global MAX grounding. RAM has already taken delivery of two other B737 MAX 8s, both of which are also grounded.

Given the prolonged grounding of the type and lingering uncertainty as to when it will be allowed back into global commercial service, a RAM source reportedly told Reuters last week that plans to induct CN-MAW and CN-MAZ had now been "suspended".

However, in a follow-up comment to the news agency, RAM's Director of External Communications, Hakim Challot, said: “The order to receive the two aircraft has never been cancelled.”



Last week, American Airlines (AA, Dallas/Fort Worth), a leading operator of the MAX, said in a statement that it now expects impending software updates to the type to lead to its recertification later this year. This should then pave the way for its proposed return to service on January 16, 2020.