US to approve 737 MAX return as Boeing faces strong headwinds
After nearly two years of scrutiny, corporate upheaval and a standoff with global regulators, Boeing Co is set on Wednesday to win approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration to fly its 737 MAX jet again after two fatal disasters.
The FAA will detail software upgrades and training changes Boeing must make in order for it to resume commercial flights after a 20-month grounding, the longest in commercial aviation history.
The 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months in 2018 and 2019 and triggered a hailstorm of investigations, ousted executives, frayed US leadership in global aviation and cost Boeing some $20 billion.
The US planemaker’s best-selling jet will resume commercial service facing strong headwinds like a resurgent coronavirus pandemic, new European tariffs, and mistrust of one of the most scrutinized brands in aviation.
