United Airlines Resumes Airbus A321neo Flights Amid Regulatory Hurdle

The FAA grants temporary permission for United's A321neo fleet to fly, despite automated 'no smoking' signs conflicting with outdated regulations.

United Airlines grounded its new Airbus A321neo planes due to automated 'no smoking' signs, conflicting with a 1990 regulation requiring manual operation by the crew.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has allowed the fleet to fly temporarily while evaluating the automated signage system.
Smoking has been banned on both domestic and international flights for nearly 25 years, making the regulation seem outdated.
United had previously obtained exemptions for its entire fleet in 2020, but the new A321neo planes were not covered.
The grounding caused minor delays, but no flight cancellations, as United swapped affected flights to other aircraft types.