A 737 MAX, on a test flight in Seattle, USA, on September 30.LINDSEY WASSON / Reuters
The head of the main European aviation regulator said Friday that he was satisfied with the changes made by Boeing in its 737 MAX model, which stopped flying in March last year after two accidents that left hundreds of deaths, and has declared himself convinced that the plane is safe enough.
The aircraft could even have the go-ahead to return to the skies on the Old Continent before the end of 2020, despite the fact that one of the additional changes requested by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) does not they will be ready in two years.
Following test flights in September, EASA is reviewing the draft airworthiness directive that it expects to issue in a month at the latest, agency chief executive Patrick Ky said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Afterwards, a period of four weeks of public hearings will be opened, while the development of a third sensor that must meet the standards set by the agency will take between 20 and 24 months.
These changes to the flight systems will be included in the larger Max 10 variant, which is scheduled to see the light of day in 2022, and also in all previous versions that are now banned from taking to the skies.
“Our analysis shows that it is safe.
The level of security achieved is high enough for us, ”Ky remarked.
"What we have discussed with Boeing is that, with the third sensor, we could reach even higher levels."
The EASA chief's comments represent the strongest European support to date for Boeing's goal of having the aircraft return to operation before the end of 2020, after numerous delays and setbacks.
The Max, the latest version of the mythical 737, was banned worldwide after two accidents that claimed a total of 346 lives in Indonesia in October 2018 and, five months later, in Ethiopia.
The debarment cost Boeing billions of dollars and the job for its then chief executive, Dennis Muilenburg.
The airline industry has changed completely since then: the pandemic has grounded thousands of planes around the world and the losses pile up in the income statements of manufacturers and airlines.
The Boeing 737 MAX still does not have the go-ahead to even fly in the US, its natural market, but the North American country's main regulator is rushing the deadlines to do so.
In this context, the opinion of its European counterpart (EASA) carries great weight, especially in light of the failures in the initial certification process.
As Ky has revealed, the synthetic sensor would simplify the pilots' work when one or both of the mechanical angle-of-attack sensors on the Max fail.
The device malfunctioned in both accidents.
"We believe this is a good step forward and will increase the level of security."
