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Boeing-Jet: Deadline for certification expires
Photo: PETER CZIBORRA / REUTERS
Setback for Boeing's new 737 Max 7: In a letter to the US aircraft manufacturer, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has expressed doubts that the certification of the short-haul jet will be completed by December.
In the letter, FAA Executive Director of Aviation Safety Lirio Liu told the aircraft manufacturer that the agency has some concerns about various statements made by the aircraft manufacturer and expects clear guidance on when outstanding documents will arrive.
The required documents -- called SSAs -- would need to be submitted by mid-September "if the company intends to meet its project plan for completing certification work (and obtaining FAA certification for this aircraft) by December."
It is assumed that "many of these documents will take a long time to review due to their complexity and their impact on the overall safety of the new aircraft".
To date, nearly 10 percent of SSAs have been approved by the FAA, and another 70 percent are in various stages of review and revision, Lirio said.
Boeing is under intense pressure to get FAA certification of the 737 MAX 7 and 10 variants.
Certification must be completed by the end of the year, otherwise new regulations for cockpit warning functions will come into effect, which could significantly delay approval.
Meanwhile, Boeing is trying to get a deadline extension through political channels.
Talking to policy makers about the time it will take to complete these best practice certifications.
“We are not attempting to rush this process and believe that safety is best served by allowing the 737-7 and 737-10 certification efforts the time needed to complete this important work without others introduce systems,” Boeing said.
mike/Reuters
