Boeing receives ″ green light ″ to start testing the controversial 737 MAX model

Boeing has received approval from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin testing the controversial 737 Max model, to demonstrate that it can fly safely with new flight control software.

The flights, which may start this Monday, according to local media, represent an important step in the company’s efforts to ensure that its best-selling planes fly again.

The model stopped flying in March 2019, after some fatal accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia, which killed a total of 346 people.

The crisis cost Boeing several billion dollars, including compensation to victims and airlines. The case also led to the dismissal of the company’s executive director, raised doubts about the company’s solvency and suspicions regarding supervision related to the speed with which MAX was approved.

Certification flights, carried out by FAA pilots, are likely to take place in the Seattle area, where the plane has undergone changes.

One of Boeing’s top test pilots will also integrate the flights.

“The tests are expected to take several days and will include a wide range of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to allow an assessment of whether the changes meet FAA certification standards,” the agency said in an email sent to the commission Sunday. supervision of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

If the flights are successful, it may still take months for the aircraft to return to the skies, not least because if the FAA identifies more problems, Boeing may still need to make additional changes.

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