Boeing engineers have discovered a new software problem on the grounded 737 Max that must be patched before the plane can return to service, US Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson said.

To restore faith in the 737-Max, Boeing needs to prove its flagship jet is not just airworthy but also a safe investment.

Airlines are scrambling to book time in 737 Max training facilities as far afield as Fiji, Iceland, and Panama, operators said, after Boeing recommended pilots be trained in one of the few simulators replicating the latest model.

Boeing should rename its 737-Max to deflect passengers’ concerns once the grounded jet returns to the skies, according to plane leasing-industry veteran Steven Udvar-Hazy.

Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft is expected to return to service in the second quarter of this year but less than half of the undelivered backlog will have been cleared by the year-end aviation industry experts are predicting.

The opening gambits by Boeing’s new boss show the risks Dave Calhoun is willing to take to reset the deeply troubled planemaker.

Boeing is weighing a move to raise more debt after the grounding of the 737 Max and that the jetliner’s return to service could face further complications.

Ryanair says it is preparing for further delays to the delivery of its Boeing 737 Max airliners.

Nasa’s effort to resume flying American astronauts on American spacecraft — something that hasn’t happened since the Space Shuttle programme ended in 2011 — faces a major test this weekend.

An order from Kazakhstan’s newly-launched budget carrier came as the Chicago-based company works to try and win US regulatory approval to get the plane back in the sky by early next year.

Aviation executives are increasingly worried that a widening split between the US and Europe will extend the grounding of Boeing’s 737-Max jet, sowing confusion and fear as regulators work to approve the resumption of commercial flights after two deadly crashes.

Airbus earnings surged in the first quarter as the European planemaker churned out higher numbers of its A320 narrow-body jet, which is the biggest global rival to Boeing’s grounded 737-Max.

Shannon Airport has warned that the grounding of Boeing's 737-Max aircraft will negatively affect its passenger numbers this year.

Norwegian Air flights from Cork and Shannon to the US east coast are now unlikely to return for the entire summer schedule, an MEP has claimed, as the firm admitted it is unlikely to return to profitability this year.

Boeing’s 737 MAX fleet has been grounded by airlines around the world for the last three weeks.