Southwest pulls Boeing Max jets until March, nearly a year after grounding

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Southwest Airlines said on Friday it is extending Boeing 737 MAX cancellations until March 6, 2020, just shy of the one-year anniversary of an Ethiopian Airlines crash of the jet that led to a worldwide grounding.

Southwest, the world's largest 737 MAX operator which has bet its entire growth strategy on Boeing's newest single-aisle aircraft, had previously canceled all its 737 MAX flights until Feb. 8. But Boeing Co is facing increasing hurdles in obtaining approval to return the plane to service before the end of this year as it has targeted.

The airline cited "continued uncertainty around the timing of MAX return to service" in its decision to extend cancellations by another month, the longest delay for any U.S. carrier.