Two years after being grounded after two deadly crashes, the Federal Aviation Administration is allowing Boeing’s 737 Max to take flight again.
The two crashes killed 346 people, The Associated Press reported.
The Max was taken out of flight rotations in March 2019 after an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed less than five months after another Max flown by Indonesia’s Lion Air went down in the Java Sea. All onboard both flights died.
Investigators blamed anti-stall software that compensated for the plane’s habit of tilting with the nose up because of the plane’s engine placement and size. The software pushed the nose of the plane down despite the pilots trying to keep control. A faulty sensor initiated the software’s processes, CNBC reported.
Congressional hearings were held that criticized the FAA for lack of oversight and for Boeing’s rushing of the software, the AP reported.
More than 400 Max planes were flying when they were all grounded. The company has built another 450 aircraft since that time.
The cost of the changes and the grounding cost Boeing more than $20 billion, CNN reported.
American Airlines so far is the only U.S. airline to reinitiate Max flights on one round-trip route between New York and Miami. The flight begins on Dec. 29, the AP reported. Southwest and United Airlines plan on bringing back the Max next year, CNBC reported.
Before that though, all of the planes must have maintenance and modifications before they can be used again. Pilots will also have to have simulator training, the AP reported.
Cox Media Group
