The new chief of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Stephen Dickinson, said on Monday that he is planning to examine the software changes that were integrated to the Boeing 737 Max. The test is expected to be carried in a simulator sometime this week.
According to CNBC, Dickinson said he is "anxious" to get his hands on the revamped Boeing 737 Max so he will determine where the FAA and the company are regarding the recertification process that was expected in August.
Dickson made it clear that until he is "satisfied" that the changes in the software will make the jet in question the "safest thing out there," he will not allow the grounded plane to get back on the air.
Aside from expressing his desire to test the plane himself, Dickson took a hard-line stance on the timeline of the troubled 737 Max's recertification. He said he cannot provide a specific timeline as he has yet to meet with Boeing officials in Seattle this week.
Despite the apparent hesitance of the new FAA chief to allow the grounded jets to fly, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg previously said that the formal changes to the software will be submitted this month.
Muilenburg further revealed that the world's largest jet maker is expecting to fly the Boeing 737 Max sometime early in the fourth quarter of 2019. It remains to be seen if Muilenburg's recertification expectations will be met.
Industry experts said getting the jets back on the air will rely heavily on the new FAA head's simulator test run this week. Some analysts believe the test results will have a huge impact on the decision of global regulators and the FAA to recertify the models that have been causing a crisis for the company since March.
While Dickinson's test will have an impact on the potential certification of the jets, it has yet to be announced when the official certification test flight will be conducted, Reuters reported.
Aside from changes to the software that has been linked to the two crashes in October and March, Boeing's board is also expected to implement changes to the aviation giant's engineering reporting processes.
The goal of changing some of the reporting practices in the company is to improve efforts in ensuring that engineers and other workers, as well as the CEO, receive immediate updates regarding safety measures and information.
The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded worldwide since March, following the tragic crash of the Ethiopian Airlines that took the lives of all passengers and crew.
