Boeing completes software update for grounded 737 Max aircraft

Boeing said on Thursday it had completed a software update for its 737 Max aircraft which have been grounded worldwide since March after they were involved in two fatal crashes.

The plane-maker said it was in the process of submitting a plan on pilot training to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and would work with the regulator to schedule its certification test flight.

The FAA is planning a meeting on May 23rd in Fort Worth, Texas, with regulators from around the world to update them on reviews of Boeing’s software fix and on pilot training.

Aviation regulators from other countries will have to assess Boeing’s proposed fixes and clear the aircraft to fly in other regions independently of the FAA.

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It is unclear when the 737 Max aircraft will return to service, but US airlines have said they hope the jets will fly this summer.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines Group, the two largest US operators of the 737 Max, have pulled the aircraft from their schedules until August 5th and August 19th respectively.

The airlines, which must still decide on pilot training, have said they would use the jets as spare aircraft if they are approved for flight before those dates.

The FAA said on Thursday that Boeing had not yet submitted its final software package for approval.

Submission

On Wednesday, acting FAA administrator Dan Elwell said he expected Boeing to make its formal submission for its software update in the next week or so.

The 737 Max was grounded following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just five months after a similar crash of a Lion Air flight killed 189 people.

Boeing hopes the software upgrade and associated pilot training will add layers of protection to prevent erroneous data from triggering a system called MCAS, which was activated in both the aircraft s before they crashed.

The plane-maker said it had completed simulator testing and engineering test flights as well as developed training and education materials, which were now being reviewed by the FAA, global regulators and airline customers.

To date Boeing has flown the 737 Max with updated software for more than 360 hours on 207 flights, the company said. – Reuters