The 737 MAX Grounding Is Such A Disaster That Airlines Are Leasing 30-Year-Old 737-200s

Miloch wrote in
:

https://jalopnik.com/the-737-max-gro...ster-that-airl
ines-1837144886

With hundreds of 737 MAX planes still on the ground following two
fatal crashes, airlines are frantically trying to lease available 737s
to fill gaps left by the MAX. They’re so desperate that they’re
leasing 737-200s, a variant that was discontinued in 1988.

That means that the newest 737-200s are 31 years old, while the plane
itself was introduced 54 years ago. But, according to a new report by
CNBC, airlines are willing to accept ancient planes if it means
avoiding route cancellations.

The most in-demand models, aviation consultant Phil Seymour told CNBC,
are the 737-800s. Like the -600, -700 and the -900, the -800 is a
member of Boeings 737 Next Generation lineup. The -800 is still in
production today, making it more common among air carriers and easier
to lease into their operations.

The 737-200, on the other hand, has not been used by any American
airline for quite some time. Southwest, an all-737 airline, retired
its -200s in 2005. According to the latest airliner census, only 38
737-200s were in service worldwide as of last summer.

Nolinor Aviation operates 10 of those -200s. While the plane’s
low-bypass engines are less efficient and make the -200 undesirable
for most mainline operations, the small engine openings allow the -200
to be fitted with a “gravel kit” that deflects debris. With a gravel
kit fitted, the 737-200 can land on unpaved airstrips.

That’s why the -200 remains in service with airlines like Nolinor that
serve remote locations in Canada. The -200 also is used in some
developing nations, as it’s one of only a few commercial jet aircraft
that can use unpaved airstrips.

But for most airlines, the old 737s are inefficient stopgaps. Brazil’s
GOL Airlines, CNBC reported, now has to stop in the Dominican Republic
on its flights to Florida operated by the older jets. The 737 MAX
would have been able to fly these routes nonstop

That’s a small sacrifice, though, to ensure that more deadly crashes
don’t occur. And while airlines are sick of cutting routes or losing
money, it won’t be a problem for much longer. Bloomberg reported in
June that the FAA expects the 737 MAX to be flying again by December.


It remains a mystery how a "software glitch"
cannot be found and fixed after 6 months of
trying.

Couldn't they just manually change out the
whole computer system instead?