FAA gives green light to 737 max, now it's up to other agencies
More than 300 people died because of a design flaw, and Boeing tarnished its reputation forever
It's a historic day for the aviation world, certainly it will not be able to erase the two deadly Lion Air and Ethiopian tragedies or even lift the reputation of the aerospace giant, however, today the FAA, or the U.S. Aviation Safety Authority, gave the green light for 737 Max to return to the skies.
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In an official announcement, Steve Dickson, head of the FAA, signed the order lifting the ban on the world's best-selling single-aisle airplane flying over U.S. soil.
In the video Dickson points out that he has flown the aircraft many times and explains that 737 Max is absolutely safe and therefore perfectly capable of returning to operation.
The two tragedies that led to the flight ban
Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled passenger flight connecting Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Airport to Depati Amir in Pangkal Pinang. On Oct. 29, the aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board.
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The second incident occurred March 11, 2019, when an Ethiopian Airlines flight operational since the previous November, crashed on the outskirts of the Ethiopian capital. The plane was operating the flight between Addis Ababa and the Kenyan capital Nairobi in which 157 people perished.
After this second tragedy, EASA, Europe's aviation regulator, issued an order to ground all 737 Max aircraft from European skies.
In Europe, the lockout of 737 MAX aircraft went into effect on March 12, 2019, and in the United States on March 14 of the same year, at which time an FAA directive was issued forcing the grounding of all 737 Max aircraft of the companies. This was followed by other global authorities issuing a similar order.
Who uses the 737 max
Boeing had come to collect Nearly 5,000 orders for the new model thanks to the promise of reduced fuel consumption and, most importantly, the ability to fly the plane without the need for any new license.
Following the incidents, the scandals that have come to light, and especially the changed conditions (it will be necessary to obtain a new certification), the American manufacturer Has lost nearly 1,000 orders and over 500 aircraft are currently parked waiting to be delivered to various carriers around the world.
The following is the list of 737 Max examples that were operational before the blockade:
Southwest Airlines (34 examples)
Air Canada (24 copies)
American Airlines (24 copies)
China Southern Airlines (24 examples)
Air China (16 examples)
Flydubai (14 specimens)
United Airlines (14 examples)
Norwegian Air Sweden (13 examples)
SpiceJet (13 specimens)
WestJet (13 specimens)
Turkish Airlines (12 examples)
Xiamen Airlines (12 copies)
Hainan Airlines (11 examples)
Shanghai Airlines (11 examples)
Lion Air (10 specimens)
Shandong Airlines (8 copies)
Smartwings (8 specimens)
Gol Transportes Aéreos (7 specimens)
Aeromexico (6 specimens)
Copa Airlines (6 specimens)
Icelandair (6 examples)
SilkAir (6 specimens)
TUI Travel (6 copies)
Aerolineas Argentinas (5 examples)
But the bulk of the planes have yet to be delivered, suffice it to say that the world's two largest lowcost airlines Southwest and Ryanair have more than 300 737 Max aircraft on order.
When he will fly again
In order to see the plane in the air again, several more months will have to pass. Now that the ban has been lifted, there are many steps that Boeing and the airlines will have to go through before the 737 Max can take off again.
Boeing is halfway through the work; after getting the green light, it will have to upgrade all the planes it produces: both those scattered around the world and those parked in factories.
In the meantime, FAA, EASA and other regulatory agencies will have to set deadlines for pilot upgrades to obtain the necessary certification to fly, and as a result, all companies will have to get their employees certified.
What is certain is that we are unlikely to see this aircraft flying again in Europe before the spring of 2021, while it is possible that the U.S. will bring forward the date to early in the year.
Would you feel comfortable flying on the 737 Max? Tell us your opinion in the comments
