US regulators complete certification test flights on Boeing 737 MAX

The United States Federal Aviation Administration on July 1 completed the recertification flight tests on the Boeing 737 MAX that were grounded last year following two fatal crashes. FAA pilots and engineers evaluated Boeing’s proposed changes in connection with the automated flight control system on the aircraft during three days of testing this week. The FAA and Boeing had started conducting a series of certification flights on June 29 that lasted until July 1. 

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According to the FAA, the certification flights included a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards. "While the certification flights are an important milestone, a number of key tasks remain. The FAA is following a deliberate process and will take the time it needs to thoroughly review Boeing’s work. We will lift the grounding order only after we are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards," the FAA said in a statement on its website. 

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Boeing had estimated that the ungrounding of the 737 MAX will begin during mid-2020. Boeing in its earlier statement had expressed regret over the grounding of the fleet and said, "Returning the MAX safely to service is our number one priority, and we are confident that will happen. We acknowledge and regret the continued difficulties that the grounding of the 737 MAX has presented to our customers, our regulators, our suppliers, and the flying public."

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Grounding of 737 MAX

Boeing 737 MAX flights were grounded across Asia, Europe, Canada, and then the United States following two fatal crashes within five months that claimed 346 lives. The aircraft was prohibited from flying after a Lion Airline plane carrying 189 passengers crashed into the sea moments after take-off in October 2018. Then in March 2019, an Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after take-off, killing all 157 people on board. Three days after the March crash, the United States' FAA temporarily grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft.

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(Image Credit: Federal Aviation Administration)