On 23 September, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a team of technical experts met with safety regulators from around the world to discuss the continuing efforts to return the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft – grounded since 194 days – to service. The FAA suggested that “each government will make its own decision to return the aircraft to service, based on a thorough safety assessment.”
FAA Updates on Boeing 737 MAX: FAA and Technical Experts Meet with Safety Regulators to Continue Discussions on Boeing 737 Max
MONTREAL — The Federal Aviation Administration and a team of technical experts met today with safety regulators from around the world to discuss the continuing efforts to return the Boeing 737 MAX jetliner to service.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson and Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell delivered opening remarks to more than 50 invited officials, all of whom will play a role in clearing the aircraft for further flight in their respective nations.
Ali Bahrami, the FAA’s Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety, provided details on the FAA’s many activities to certify the aircraft since the group of regulators first met four months ago in Fort Worth, Texas. A senior Boeing Co. executive provided a technical briefing on the company’s efforts to address the safety regulators’ shared concerns.
During the meeting, Administrator Dickson pledged that the FAA would continue to share information about the FAA’s activities to ensure the proposed changes to the automated flight control system on the 737 MAX meet certification standards. “In the name of continuous improvement, we welcome feedback from our fellow civil aviation authorities, the aviation industry and the important independent reviews of the MAX and the FAA’s certification process,” Dickson said.
Dickson told the group that the last few months have made it clear that, in the mind of the traveling public, aviation safety recognizes no borders. “Travelers demand the same high level of safety no matter where they fly,” he said. “It is up to us as aviation regulators to deliver on this shared responsibility.”
The FAA continues to follow a thorough process, not a prescribed timeline, for returning the aircraft to passenger service. The FAA has a transparent and collaborative relationship with other civil aviation authorities as we continue our review of changes to software on the Boeing 737 MAX. Our first priority is safety, and we have set no timeframe for when the work will be completed. Each government will make its own decision to return the aircraft to service, based on a thorough safety assessment.
