FAA lays plan for Boeing 737 MAX’s return; hurdles remain

seattle — The US Federal Aviation Administration said it is proposing requiring four key Boeing Co 737 MAX design and operating changes to address safety issues seen in two fatal crashes that led to the plane’s grounding in March 2019.

The agency is issuing a proposed airworthiness directive to require updated flight-control software, revised display processing software to generate alerts, a revision of certain flight-crew operating procedures and changes in the routing of some wiring bundles.

While the measures align with those expected by Boeing and aerospace analysts for months, the announcement comes after a series of delays and sets in motion the final sequence of events that could lead to the FAA lifting a grounding order on the plane later this year. There are still a number of hurdles, including collecting public comments on the changes for 45 days, and finalizing a new set of pilot-training procedures. Transport Canada and Europe’s EASA have their own concerns.

Given the work left, it remains unclear whether US flights will resume before year-end. In response to the FAA’s proposal, Chicago-based Boeing said it was “continuing to make steady progress towards the safe return to service, working closely with the FAA and other global regulators.”

The FAA said in a separate 96-page report on Monday it “has preliminarily determined that Boeing’s proposed changes to the 737 MAX design, flightcrew procedures and maintenance procedures effectively mitigate the airplanerelated safety issues.” —