European regulator says 737 Max 'safe'

New York, US - Boeing shares climbed on Friday following a report that the European air safety regulator is ready to allow the 737 Max jet to return to the skies after its worldwide grounding.

The 737 Max was grounded globally in 2019 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people, plunging Boeing into crisis as the Max underwent a lengthy review process.

Patrick Ky, executive director of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), told Bloomberg the plane could start flying before the end of the year.

Ky said Boeing would add a new sensor to the plane to prevent the types of problems that contributed to the crashes but that the plane could resume service even before that device is installed.

"Our analysis is showing that this is safe, and the level of safety reached is high enough for us," Ky said. "What we discussed with Boeing is the fact that with the third sensor, we could reach even higher safety levels."