FILE PHOTO: An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8, on a flight from Miami to New York City, comes in for landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York, U.S., March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - American Airlines Group Inc AAL.O is "confident" that its Boeing Co BA.N 737 MAX aircraft will fly this year, in time for the holidays, Senior Vice President of Customer Experience Kerry Philipovitch told reporters on Tuesday.

American has removed its 24 MAX jets from its flying schedule through early November as it awaits Federal Aviation Administration approval for the grounded planes to fly again following two fatal crashes.