Boeing 737 Max Repair Will Take Extra Weeks



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Boeing had stated that he would submit the fix to the FAA last week and that he had gathered hundreds of industry representatives at his Seattle area facilities Wednesday to demonstrate the changes to the software.

But the FAA said Monday that the company had concluded that "extra work" was needed.

"The FAA is expecting to receive the final package of its Boeing software enhancements over the next few weeks for approval by the FAA," the agency said in a statement. "It takes time for Boeing to perform additional work as a result of a continuous review of the 737 Max flight control system to ensure that Boeing has identified and appropriately addressed all issues. relevant. "

Boeing acknowledged the new timetable, saying in a statement that the change of software would be "completed in the coming weeks". He did not say why the timeline had changed.

"Safety is our top priority, and we will take a methodical and thorough approach to developing and testing the update in order to take the time to get it right," the company said.

An aeronautical source told CNN that Boeing had discovered "an additional element to deal with" during the final review of the new software and that the integration of the new flight control software on a complex aircraft was taking time. . Before the discovery, Boeing was waiting for the new software to be ready within a few days.

American Airlines said Monday afternoon that she was aware that the Max "could be further delayed" before resuming operations. He was forced to cancel dozens of flights every day while planes were waiting for a solution.

American operates 24 Max 8 and Southwest aircraft, 34. United Airlines operates 14 of the largest 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Captain Dennis Tajer of the Allied Pilots Association, who represents American Airlines pilots, said the group was encouraged by Boeing's recent "sense of energy" to produce a fix, while realizing that the timeline was ambitious.

"We did not take this into account because the pilots were fully engaged, as they are, and all the information and knowledge of what training will be provided will be considered as a long-range schedule for flying the plane," he said. Tajer told CNN.

The FAA followed the aviation authorities of other countries by failing the Max on March 13, after the second crash in less than five months. The agency said it had examined satellite data and physical evidence showing similarities between the crashed Air Lion flight in October and the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed a few days earlier in March.

A preliminary report on the accident in Ethiopia is expected in the coming days.

Software developers, Boeing engineers and test pilots had developed a set of modifications to a stabilization system called MCAS, which was the subject of careful examination by investigators preparing the crash of Lion Air, according to a company official. The fix brings several layers of protection and is accompanied by a workout regime.

Tajer, of the Allied Pilots Association, said the changes to the software demonstrated by Boeing last week "directly address the concerns we have expressed to Boeing" after the October crash.

According to the FAA statement, the changes to the software would require a "rigorous security review".

"The FAA will not approve the installation of the software until the FAA is satisfied with the bid," the agency said.

CNN's David Shortell and Jim Sciutto contributed to this report.

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