Southwest, United seek older software on new 737 MAX jets

A software update meant for Boeing’s 737 MAX has created a landing guidance problem, and two airlines don’t want it arriving with their new airplanes. The issue involves a specific sequence after a missed approach, rather than every landing, but it has drawn federal scrutiny and raised questions about deliveries of newer MAX models.

Boeing said it alerted operators last month, according to CNBC’s Sept. 26 report. The Federal Aviation Administration said it was assessing the problem and would review Boeing’s proposed fix. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines said they were keeping the affected software out of incoming aircraft.

For travelers, an important distinction is getting lost in the broad phrase “landing glitch”: CNBC reported that U.S. airlines it contacted said their MAX 8 and MAX 9 fleets did not have the software update tied to the problem. That’s a narrower finding than a clean bill of health for every MAX worldwide, but it’s useful context.

How the 737 MAX landing guidance glitch can occur

According to CNBC, Boeing said the issue can arise after a missed approach when pilots change a preprogrammed flight path. Pilots then have to take additional steps to use automated tools on subsequent approaches.

Reuters, citing reporting by The Wall Street Journal, said the problem emerged from a cockpit software update. Boeing told Reuters that pilots might lose access to automated flight guidance during the specific landing scenario.

That description matters. The reported problem concerns access to automated guidance; it is not a statement that pilots lose the ability to land the airplane. Boeing told CNBC that pilots are trained to land without the automated system.

Still, extra cockpit work during an approach isn’t something to shrug off. Bloomberg reported that the navigation issue could increase pilot workload during landing. That operational burden is part of the concern, even as Boeing points to existing procedures for handling the situation safely.

Boeing is working on procedures and a permanent fix

Boeing’s response has two parts. According to CNBC, the manufacturer has reinforced existing pilot procedures with operators while its engineers develop a software update intended to permanently address the problem.

The company also said it was working directly with airlines to formalize a procedure that would let pilots reenable automated vertical navigation if the issue occurs, CNBC reported. That procedural work is distinct from correcting the software itself; it addresses how crews recover access to the automated function.

The FAA’s involvement goes beyond receiving a notification. Reuters reported that the agency planned to convene a Corrective Action Review Board and was working closely with Boeing and airlines. The agency said it would take immediate action if it identified a safety concern. CNBC separately reported that the FAA would review Boeing’s proposed fix.

Those are commitments to assess the issue and respond, not a completed regulatory judgment. Reuters described Boeing, airlines and regulators as still evaluating whether the software problem poses a flight safety concern.

Southwest and United draw a line on new deliveries

Southwest said none of its fleet was equipped with Version U.14, including newly delivered MAX 8 aircraft, according to CNBC. The airline also said it was engaged with Boeing and the FAA over the issue.

United told CNBC it was not taking delivery of MAX aircraft with the new software. Reuters, citing The Wall Street Journal, reported that both United and Southwest had asked Boeing to supply new MAX aircraft with an earlier software version instead.

This is a distinction worth keeping straight: the airlines’ requests concern which software arrives on new jets, not a blanket rejection of new MAX airplanes. CNBC reported that some MAX aircraft can revert to an older software version.

The worldwide scope remains unresolved. Reuters reported that it was not immediately clear how many aircraft were operating with the flawed software. CNBC cited Cirium’s count of 2,430 MAX aircraft in service globally, but that is the total fleet, not the number affected by this glitch.

Why the MAX 7 and MAX 10 complicate the response

Using an earlier software version may address delivery concerns for some aircraft, but CNBC reported a less straightforward situation for the MAX 7. The FAA certified that model, the smallest in the MAX family, in early August with the newest software installed. Whether it could be delivered or flown with an older version was unclear.

The MAX 10 adds another certification question. According to CNBC, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told investors earlier in September that he expected FAA certification soon. That was an expectation, not confirmation that approval had been granted.

Bloomberg reported that the navigation issue could delay the arrival of Boeing’s latest narrowbody models. That remains a potential consequence, rather than an announced delivery delay.

Keep the software issue separate from the aircraft label

The scrutiny comes with substantial history. CNBC noted that two MAX 8 crashes in 2018 and 2019 killed 346 people, and that a flawed flight control software system, since updated, was implicated in both. That history explains the attention, but it does not establish that this landing guidance issue is the same problem.

For passengers, the most useful information is specific: which aircraft have the affected software, what procedures crews have, and what the FAA determines. The MAX name alone doesn’t answer those questions. Southwest’s fleet statement and United’s delivery policy provide concrete information about their software choices; the broader regulatory review remains underway.