The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has mentioned that the certification process to get Boeing's 737 Max jets back in the air will extend into next year. The statement made by FAA administrator Stephen Dickson is contrary to previous claims that the jets would fly again before the year ends.
Dickson made his statement during his testimony before the House Transportation Committee on Wednesday. The FAA official was asked if he could provide a possible time frame for when the jets would be approved to go back into service. Dickson mentioned that there are still around 10 to 11 different steps that need to be completed, which meant that it would be impossible for the planes to go back into service within this year.
When Dickson was pressured by officials to state a possible month for the approvals to be completed, he explained that it a priority for him and his team to get the process right. The FAA is apparently working with a number of other international authorities and with Boeing in the certification process.
The FAA had also instructed all of the personnel involved in the certification to take as much time as they needed to make sure that everything is thoroughly checked. In response to the FAA head's a statement, Boeing mentioned confirmed that it is working closely with the regulator as well as other authorities to get its planes back in the air as safely as possible.
This week's hearing will include a number of testimonies from personnel and officials involved in Boeing's operations. This includes testimony from Edward Pierson, a former Boeing employee who claims that he was aware of the 737 Max's issues before the crashes. Pierson also alleged that he had approached Boeing officials regarding the issue but was apparently dismissed due to the possible costs involved in fixing it.
Boeing's 737 Max jets were originally grounded in March of this year after two fatal crashed had occurred killing a total of 346 people. The crashed were blamed on the jet's automated piloting system, which forced the planes' nose to dive down unexpectedly. The grounding has cost Boeing billions of dollars in losses due to litigation and the cancellation of orders for its troubled jets.
The US-based aircraft manufacturer has repeatedly mentioned that it intends to have the planed approved to fly again as soon as possible, at least in the United States, before the year ends. However, that is unlikely to happen given the new announcements from the FAA.
