Boeing 737 MAX Getting Back In The Air: Test Flights Start As Early As Monday

Sarah RumpfJun 28th, 2020, 6:19 pm
 
Boeing 737 max american airlines

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Boeing is set to begin test flights on its 737 MAX planes, the Federal Administration Administration (FAA) confirmed on Sunday.

The Boeing 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March 2019 following two catastrophic crashes of this type of plane, one in Jakarta, Indonesia and the other in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Both crashes occurred shortly after takeoff and killed all passengers and crew on board.

The crashes were determined to be related to the planes’ automated flight-control system, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), which malfunctioned and forced the planes into nosedives.

The global order to ground the planes affected 387 planes that were in service with airlines around the world, plus an additional 400 newly-manufactured aircraft that have been awaiting delivery to airlines.

In an email sent to Congress, the FAA confirmed that it had completed its review of the proposed updates to the Boeing MCAS and other safety systems, “clearing the way for flight certification testing to begin.”

Test flights, conducted by FAA test pilots, could begin as early as Monday, and “will include a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to enable the agency to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards.”

The planes have been grounded for a total of 15 months so far, CNN reported, and the tests will address “multiple fixes” to the plane’s safety systems. The clearance for these test flights is on schedule for when Boeing had previously announced they expected to be able to back up in the air.

Watch the video above, via CNN.

 

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law&Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe. Follow Sarah on Threads, Twitter, and Bluesky.