Boeing 737 MAX test flight lasted several hours and included two take-offs and landings
Seattle:
American regulators made the first test flight of the Boeing 737 MAX on Monday, a key step in the recertification of the plane that was immobilized for more than a year after two fatal accidents.
A MAX aircraft took off from Boeing Field in Seattle at 4:55 p.m. GMT, said a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The test lasted several hours, and included two takeoffs and landings, before finally landing around 9:15 p.m. GMT, according to an AFP photographer.
The initial flight will be followed by additional trips planned over about three days, the FAA spokesperson said in a statement.
But although the certification flights are a critical phase, the regulator stressed that the process of returning to the sky of the formerly best-selling aircraft is not over.
“Although certification flights are an important step, a number of key tasks remain to be accomplished,” said the FAA spokesperson, adding that the agency will be “deliberate” and “will thoroughly review the work of Boeing “before allowing the aircraft to resume service.
“We will not lift the grounding order until we have made sure that the aircraft meets the certification standards.”
The MAX has been immobilized worldwide since March 13, 2019, following an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people. This disaster occurred just months after the Lion Air MAX crash that left 189 people dead.
The disturbing similarities between the two accidents, which occurred shortly after takeoff, as well as the pilots’ inability to regain control of the aircraft, led world aviation authorities to anchor the model indefinitely.
For months, the US aerospace giant has struggled to return medium-haul aircraft to service – previously Boeing’s largest source of commercial aircraft orders.
The MAX anti-stall flight system, MCAS, was partly responsible for the two accidents. But other technical malfunctions, including one involving electrical wiring, were subsequently detected during the aircraft modification process, slowing down its recertification.
Boeing shares opened higher on Monday and continued to rise after the flight took off, closing at $ 194.49, up 14.4%, and leading the Dow Jones.
Delay after delay
Civil aviation authorities can only approve the modified model after examining its performance in air and examining the thousands of data points collected during test flights.
But beyond that, Boeing has yet to develop pilot training protocols for the MAX that will be subject to public comment and a final review by a technical advisory committee.
All MAX planes manufactured since the collisions will also need to be personally inspected by FAA personnel, the agency said.
“The FAA has not made a decision to return to service,” the agency said.
A few months ago, Boeing predicted that the MAX would return to the skies in mid-2020. But the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in travel restrictions and lockouts in an attempt to slow its spread, has turned the calendar upside down.
Boeing must put the 737 MAX back in the air to get out of a historic crisis.
The aircraft represents more than two thirds of the company’s order book and is therefore crucial for the survival of the manufacturer, which, like the entire aeronautical industry, is suffering from the effects of the coronavirus crisis.
The company has already made cuts to consolidate its finances. In late April, Boeing released details of a workforce reduction plan to reduce the total workforce by 10%, or about 16,000 employees in total.
In March, the credit rating agency S&P downgraded Boeing’s debt rating to BBB from A-, placing it in a speculative category.
Additional changes to the MAX that should be required by foreign aviation authorities could also result in substantial costs to the program.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
