The demonstration flight lifts off from Dallas/Fort Worth bound for Tulsa, Oklahoma - a distance of approximately 235 miles

American Airlines’ 24-strong pre-grounding order fleet has since grown with more jets introduced during December and January

More than 64,000 man-hours have been spent maintaining American Airlines’ 24 MAX jets since the FAA issued its grounding order in March 2019

The media demonstration flight and subsequent tour of American Airlines’ Tulsa TechOps facility enabled members of the press to speak to those responsible for returning the carrier’s jets to service

More than 1,900 anti-deterioration engine runs have been completed since March 2019

A rear view of the CFM International LEAP-1B engine that powers the Boeing 737 MAX

Around 95 members of TechOps staff work on the MAX fleet each day

Dallas/Fort Worth-based American Airlines was the first airline to indicate an interest in a fourth-generation 737, ordering 100 in 2014

The media demonstration flight carried 140 passengers which included airline employees, stakeholders and members of the press

The author snapped a picture of the MAX’S wing in-flight - a view few will have seen for more than 20 months

The airline returned the type to fare-paying service on December 29, 2020 between Miami and New York's LaGuardia Airport

American’s Boeing 737 MAX 8s are fitted out in a two-class, 172-seat layout

It takes between four and six hours to update the MCAS software