Boeing postpones its software update for the troubled 737 Max aircraft, as further work was needed before submitting the fix to the Federal Aviation Administration. The aircraft manufacturer is working on a software update to the new anti-stall system, known as MCAS, which was included in the 737 Max jetliner.
Boeing had hoped to submit the update to the FAA, which must approve the new software and training procedures before implementation, as early as this week. However, in recent days, the timeline was extended by several weeks.
This means that Boeing 737 Max aircraft will not return in operations before June, which will cause problems for many airlines and tour operators, raising their costs and complicating the work in the busy summer season.
“The FAA expects to receive Boeing’s final package of its software enhancement over the coming weeks for FAA approval”, said the Federal Aviation Administration. “Time is needed for additional work by Boeing as the result of an ongoing review of the 737 Max Flight Control System to ensure that Boeing has identified and appropriately addressed all pertinent issues”, adds the agency.
Boeing 737 Max aircraft was grounded after two crashed in less than 5 months, which caused the death of hundreds of people. Globally, the aviation authorities banned passenger flights of the 737 Max airplanes until further certification. Currently, the ban affects 376 planes from that model, which are grounded until the installation of the software update and review of their certification.
Boeing 737 MAX is a narrow-body aircraft series designed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes as the fourth generation of the Boeing 737.
