US aviation regulator could lift Boeing 737 Max ban as early as next week
Boeing’s 737 Max could be approved to resume commercial service by next week as US aviation regulators finalise their review of changes to the grounded plane.
The Federal Aviation Administration is expected to announce the certification as soon as next Wednesday and Boeing has begun briefing politicians on the plans that are still subject to change.
The regulator expects to complete its review “in the coming days”, FAA administrator Steve Dickson said on Monday, without specifying a date.
Boeing’s best-selling aircraft was banned from the skies in March 2019 after two crashes killed 346 people. A decision by regulators to end the longest aircraft grounding in US history would be a significant milestone for Boeing’s effort to revive the core of its commercial-aircraft business.
However, with the coronavirus pandemic flattening demand for new planes, the US company faces a difficult recovery as it seeks to reap cash by delivering hundreds of Max jets built during the flying ban that hits the 20-month mark on Friday.
“Aside from some limited replacement demand, no one needs any jets for growth and the market is going to stay very soft for a number of years,” said Richard Aboulafia, aerospace analyst with the Teal Group, before news of the FAA’s potential move next week.
Boeing shares closed flat in New York on Monday, but were up 1.5 per cent in pre-market trading yesterday.
The shares are down 45 per cent so far this year, the biggest drop on the 30-member Dow Jones Industrial Average.
The possible timing of the FAA’s approval of the 737 Max is little surprise. In recent weeks, regulators in the US and Europe had indicated that they were close to clearing the plane to fly after taking it through a series of flight tests.
European regulators said they were satisfied with Boeing’s proposed changes.
However, commercial flights would not begin immediately after the FAA approves the plane for service. American Airlines, for example, plans to begin Max flights from December 29 on the busy corridor between Miami and New York.
Mr Dickson said the FAA continues to hold final discussions with authorities in other nations and will not approve a return to service until it is satisfied that the plane is safe.
When the FAA acts, it intends to issue a complete package that will allow commercial flights to resume.
The aviation regulator is reviewing physical changes to a system that repeatedly made the aircraft dive in both accidents until pilots lost control. It also requires an update to the plane’s flight-control computer and to wiring to improve safety.
Separately, the agency will approve new training for pilots to add an additional layer of safety and set requirements for the maintenance required to ensure the mothballed planes can be returned to service.
A group of independent government experts known as the Technical Advisory Board, which reviewed the FAA’s work on the plane, is also expected to issue a final report.
Boeing has sought to deliver hundreds of Max jets built during the ban in a push to raise cash amid the pandemic