The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told Boeing that it will review every 737 Max plane that comes out of manufacturing plants in a the hardline announcement that could lengthen the waiting time for the models' recertification.
According to CNBC, the FAA sent a letter to the U.S. jet maker on Tuesday, expressing its desire to review hundreds of new Boeing 737 Max aircraft before the planes are delivered to buyers.
Industry experts noted that the FAA's latest move could further stretch the long wait for the planes to be recertified. The initial recertification in August was pushed back amid mounting pressure from the victims' families and global regulators.
The FAA argued in its letter to one of Boeing's safety and compliance executives that a "large number" of new 737 Max jets that are under storage at the moment present "a number of challenges for airworthiness certification, production, and delivery."
In response to the directive, the U.S. aircraft manufacturer said it is welcoming and embracing the move since safety is its top priority.
The two sides have been unveiling contradicting statements over the recertification timeline of the troubled jets that took the lives of 346 people in two major crashes between October 2018 and March of this year.
FAA administrator Steve Dickson repeatedly said the regulator will not set a timeline at this point on when it will allow the planes to get back in the air. However, the American aircraft giant said it is confident that the jets will return to normal flights before the year-end.
The FAA's letter came amid questions from other international regulators and the victims' families who asked how the planes were certified in the first place and why the issues with the anti-stall the system was not identified before the crashes.
Boeing has already patched up the system that is believed to be the root cause of the two crashes. However, the FAA has yet to approve the software fixes. Comprehensive testing and pilot interaction have also yet to be carried out to ensure that the planes are safe for flight.
It is worth noting that Boeing used to be the one reviewing its aircraft for airworthiness before the latest FAA directive, Forbes reported. It remains to be seen how the regulator will work on hastening the process of reviewing new 737 Max jets as multiple airliners have been largely affected by the planes' grounding in March.
Boeing rival Airbus has been on the roll since the 737 Max was grounded globally. The European jet maker has received more orders this year for some of its models ever since its rival's troubled jets were forced to park until the FAA gives the green light again.
