
Boeing awaits airworthiness certification from FAA before 737 Max planes return for commercial flights
- Boeing to delay the delivery of its 737 Max planes as it awaits certification from FAA.
- 737 Max planes have been grounded since mid-march 2019, following two fatal crashes.
- FAA intends to evaluate each plane individually for manufacturing, design, and delivery processes.
- Boeing supports FAA's decision in the best interest of public safety.
- Share prices were seen around 1.5% lower in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
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Following two fatal crashes, Boeing 737 Max jetliners were grounded in mid-march 2019. While the American multinational airplane manufacturer has finalized deals with multiple clients to get its 737 Max line back on track, the delivery is likely to be delayed further with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announcing earlier on Thursday that it intends to meticulously evaluate each plane individually.
Writing to Boeing’s executive for safety and compliance earlier this week, FAA stated in its letter that the airworthiness certification can’t be awarded to the newly produced 737 Max jetliners unless each of the airplanes is tested thoroughly.
FAA Administrator, Steve Dickson, Has No Defined Deadline To Certify 737 Max
Copy link to sectionBoeing’s executives have reiterated on multiple occasions that the 737 Max jetliners can be expected to return to the market by the end of November. The recent announcement from the FAA, however, highlights that administrator Steve Dickson has no defined deadline for when the airplanes will be certified safe for traveling.
The letter further added that in the best interest of public safety, FAA intends to take its time in building confidence in the 737 Max’s design and production processes by ensuring that these comply with the regulatory standards. Unless it is satisfied with Boeing’s verification processes and quality control both on production and delivery fronts, the airplanes are likely to not receive the airworthiness certificate from the FAA.
Boeing Supports FAA’s Decision In The Best Interest Of Public Safety
Copy link to sectionBoeing has responded with a statement that it supports FAA’s decision as public safety remains the top priority for the American airplane manufacturer as well. The company, however, didn’t comment on whether or not it will receive the regulator’s approval in 2019’s Q4, as anticipated earlier.
FAA has refrained from announcing a deadline for evaluation processes to be completed, however, the agency expressed confidence in a sufficient number of inspectors to cater to the manufacturer’s delivery capacity.
The two fatal 737 Max crashes (October 2018 in Indonesia and March 2019 in Ethiopia) reported 350 casualties which led to the worldwide grounding of Boeing’s bestselling plane. As many as over 300 new planes are stored in Texas and Washington, as per Boeing’s spokesperson.
Boeing has reportedly worked on a software fix that had led to the 2 fatal crashes within a short period of 5 months. Once the Federal Aviation Administration approves the planes following a test flight and further evaluations under its supervision, the jetliner can be expected to fly commercially.
Following the news, Boeing’s stock noted a 1.48% decline for the day in the after-hours trading on Wednesday.
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