FAA chief: Boeing 737 Max planes could still remain grounded for months
The acting head of the US Federal Aviation Administration has hinted it could be months yet before the grounded Boeing 737 Max is permitted to fly.
The agency is taking delivery of a software update from Boeing but Daniel Elwell gave no assurances over a timeline to recertification.
He said the FAA still hasn’t decided if pilots will have to undergo simulator training which would severely delay a return of service for the Boeing 737 Max planes.
"If you said October I wouldn’t even say that, only because we haven’t finished determining exactly what the training requirements will be. If it takes a year to find everything we need to give us the confidence to lift the order so be it," Elwell said.
Other countries have promised to conduct their own stringent independent audits with, in some cases, mandatory simulator training, but Elwell says no major disputes with other regulators have arisen.
"We have peace with other regulators. We’re talking to them constantly. You want to make this like, ‘We’re at war with the other countries over this.’ We’re not."
Elwell spoke ahead of a meeting of global air regulators taking place today which hopes to set a consensus on how best to move forward with recertifying the updated Max aircraft.
United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz acknowledged it will take some time to restore full confidence with the aircraft model when it does take to the air again.
While Munoz has pledged to be on United’s first Max flight, the airline would rebook passengers on other aircraft who are not quite so confident.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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