US Regulator Approves Boeing 737 Max Return to Flying

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 18 Nov 2020 • 23:05

US Regulator Approves Boeing 737 Max Return to Flying.

The US aviation regulator has signed an order that paves the way for the return of Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft to return to commercial flying. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says a 20-month safety review process has addressed the aircraft’s safety issues that played a role in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes which cost 346 lives.

It rescinded the order that grounded the aircraft and published an Airworthiness Directive specifying design changes that must be made before the aircraft returns to service, issued a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC), and published the MAX training requirements.

Safety regulator, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), said the clearance would not allow the plane to “return immediately” to the skies. Alongside the software and wiring changes, pilots will also need training. The FAA said the design changes it had required “have eliminated what caused these particular accidents”. The boss of the FAA said he was “100% confident” in the safety of the plane.

“We’ve done everything humanly possible to make sure” these types of crashes do not happen again,” Steve Dickson said. As well as improvements to the plane, Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun said the company had strengthened its safety practices and culture since the disasters. “We will never forget the lives lost in the two tragic accidents that led to the decision to suspend operations,” said Mr Calhoun, who took over when his predecessor, Dennis Muilenburg, was sacked from Boeing last year.

“These events and the lessons we have learned as a result have reshaped our company and further focused our attention on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.”

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