Boeing’s 737 MAX could be cleared to fly in the U.S. by the end of the year, which could test the international credibility of American aviation regulators if authorities in Europe and elsewhere continue to ban the aircraft from their airspace, Politico reported on Monday.
Despite a series of serious revelations about the design and approval of the plane, which crashed in Indonesia and Ethiopia, killing 346 people, the Federal Aviation Administration’s evaluation process for returning the MAX to service is moving along.
This is in contrast to European regulators, who have suggested that they won't necessarily abide by the FAA's timeline and will conduct testing and oversight independent of the American agency.
On Friday, an Indonesian investigation faulted aircraft design flaws, inadequate training and maintenance problems for the crash, emphasizing that pilots were never told how to quickly respond to malfunctions of the plane's automated flight-control system, according to CBS News.
The damning report came a week after congressional investigators released damaging 2016 emails and text messages in which a former Boeing pilot had boasted of playing "jedi-mind" tricks on regulators, Politico reported.
Despite these pressures, Boeing said last week it had completed a “dry-run” of a certification test flight for the plane, and U.S. airlines that operate the MAX are planning for a return to service early next year.
FAA chief Steve Dickson added that the Boeing had hit several milestones, including handing over a key technical document.
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