VIDEO. The Boeing 737 Max again authorized to fly in Europe: "I will no longer board this plane"

It was expected.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) announced on Wednesday that it had given its official green light for the return to flight in the European sky of the Boeing 737 MAX, grounded for 22 months after two fatal accidents.

A total of 346 people died in the crashes of a Lion Air in Indonesia in October 2018 (189 dead) and an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in March 2019 in Ethiopia (157 dead).

On the latter, "the final safety report has not yet been made", underlines Virginie Fricaudet, president of the association of victims of THEFT ET 302. "We do not know the official causes of the crash, and we are already recertifying the plane, ”she says indignantly.

“After a thorough analysis by EASA, we have determined that the 737 MAX is safe to return to service.

This assessment was carried out independently of Boeing or the Federal Aviation Administration (the American FAA, Editor's note) and without any economic or political pressure ”, for his part said the executive director of the 'EASA Patrick Ky, quoted in a press release.

During the two accidents, it was after having received erroneous information from one of the two AOA angle of attack sensors, indicating that the aircraft was in stall, that the flight control software, the MCAS, had run away despite the pilots' efforts to deactivate it, and had the aircraft pitched down.

The planes must undergo a modification of the MCAS software.

Other software must also be changed and some cables repositioned and pilots will have to undergo new training, requires EASA.

Boeing, officially accused in early January of having misled US authorities during the 737 MAX approval process, admitted responsibility and agreed to pay more than $ 2.5 billion to settle certain lawsuits.

"The dollars do not replace the mitard", wishes to remind Virginie Fricaudet.

“OK, there was a conviction but there must also be manslaughter and endangerment of others.

Everything about the human.

The authorization to fly in Europe for the MAX means that Boeing, stunned by the setbacks of the last generation of its medium-haul and by the Covid-19 crisis, will be able to resume its deliveries to the European continent.

Since it entered service, 67 units of the aircraft have been delivered to European customers, including 19 Norwegian Air Shuttles and 12 to Turkish Airlines.

A total of 723 aircraft have been ordered by 14 European customers - none of them French -, of which 210 remain to be delivered to Ryanair, 92 to Norwegian Air Shuttle and 63 to Turkish Airlines.

Next step for Virgnie Fricaudet: to fight so that “airline users in Europe can exercise a right of withdrawal”.

This is the case in the United States for American Airlines, United Airlines or Southwest passengers who are offered to exchange or cancel their tickets if they do not want to travel in a 737 MAX.

"If we have all the data, and if Boeing is transparent on its plane, […] everyone will make their decision in their soul and conscience, concedes the president of VOL ET 302 - Solidarity and Justice.

“My brother saw death happen on that plane.

I am not afraid of the plane but I will not go back in this aircraft.

"