The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has officially recertified the Boeing 737 MAX. Thus, after a 20-month grounding, the aircraft may finally fly again in the United States.
The FAA’s approval was long expected. Together with the EASA, the European aviation authority among others, the FAA reported earlier that it was planning to declare the aircraft airworthy again by the end of this year. Now, a green light has finally been given for the return of the aircraft, which has been on the ground for about twenty months. Before the aircraft may actually take to the skies, the FAA has required software updates to be implemented and has requested changes to the 737 MAX’s pilot training program. This should be sufficient to solve the problems that contributed to the two fatal accidents that caused the aircraft to be grounded for over a year.
“We will never forget the lives lost in the two tragic accidents that led to the decision to suspend operations,” said David Calhoun, CEO of Boeing. “These events and the lessons we have learned as a result have reshaped our company and further focused our attention on our core values of safety, quality and integrity.”