Boeing said that its 737 Max8 models are expected to take to the skies once again in January, next year. The Max8 models were grounded after it killed 346 people in two different flights one in Lion Air and the other one being Ethiopian Airlines. Both incidents occurred within a few months due to a problem with its MCAS system.
It released a statement saying that it hoped to receive certification from the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) allowing its 737 Max models to resume services for its customers before the end of this year.
Boeing said that it is waiting for its final validation related to the updated training requirements before the Max8 model returns for its commercial service. It also said that the original plans were to resume in December but got delayed by one month. All its Max8 models have been grounded since mid-March. It has faced questions from the airline regulators, politicians and its customers from all over the world.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have pushed back its dates for resuming flights with the Max8 models till March next year despite any decisions if from the FAA during this time.
Boeing said that it had completed the first five key milestones that include a simulator evaluation from the FAA to ensure the safety of its software systems. The airline manufacturer will now test its software from its pilots to see how they react to the various conditions and conduct various checks and assessments. It will see how pilots react to the workload when flying inside a simulator. This is to be done before by Boeing after which the FAA pilots and experts will check the software in the simulator.
Boeing said that it had done all the necessary changes in the MCAS system which is an automatic system to prevent stalls and over speed.
