737 Max may fly this summer
Boeing still has long process to complete
Boeing’s 737 Max could be flying again before too long.
The plane has been grounded since last March, after two crashes killed 346 people. The crisis has cost Boeing billions of dollars and led to the ouster of its chief executive, who repeatedly offered overly optimistic assessments of when the Max would be back in the air.
Now there are signs the Max may return to service relatively soon. On Thursday, Stephen Dickson, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, said a crucial test flight could occur in the coming weeks, setting in motion the complex process of ungrounding the plane.
He also revealed there was yet another problem with the Max: an indicator light that erroneously activated because of an issue with the flight control computer. Boeing is working to resolve the issue, which the company said it did not believe would cause further delays.
Given the approaching test flight, and barring new problems, airlines like Southwest, American and United may be able to stick to their plans to use the Max this summer. Here’s what has to happen first.
The indicator light is just one of several issues that Boeing is still trying to resolve. Another major sticking point is whether Boeing needs to separate wire bundles that could, in rare circumstances, cause a short circuit and possibly lead to a catastrophic failure.
Boeing is evaluating the issue and publicly says it will turn its analysis over to the FAA and allow the regulator to make a decision. Privately, the company is making the case the bundles do not need to be separated, according to people familiar with the matter. Some FAA officials and European regulators, however, made it clear to Boeing it must have a persuasive argument for not separating the wires.
Boeing is also still working with Collins Aerospace, one of its major subcontractors, to fix lingering issues with updates to the computers that control MCAS, the software that contributed to both crashes. Changes to the software have introduced new complications, such as the issue with the indicator light.
When Boeing is convinced that all these issues are resolved, it will hand the updated software over to the FAA, which will issue a type inspection authorization memo. Once that is issued, the FAA can conduct its certification flights.
Training for pilots After the certification flights, international regulators will convene to determine final training requirements. Boeing said it would recommend that pilots train in flight simulators before flying the Max.
The regulators will then offer training to more than a dozen flight crews from airlines around the globe and test their responses to emergencies on the Max in a flight simulator. After those tests, the FAA will produce a report recommending training, which will be open to public comments for 15 days.
After the public comment period, the agency will release its final training requirements.
Grounding formally ends Once the certification flights are done, the paperwork is complete and the training is set, the FAA will issue an airworthiness directive instructing airlines how to install new software and fix other issues on the Max so that it can fly again. It will then release a separate document formally ending the grounding.
Get the planes ready to fly When airlines are finally prepared to fly the Max, they will have to get their planes ready. That process — which involves checking all the plane’s systems, as well as its fluids, engines, tires and more — takes a week to 10 days per plane.
Convince passengers Once the Max is approved, airlines face the task of persuading people to get on it. Boeing’s own research shows that as of December, 40 per cent of travellers said they were unwilling to board a Max.