Last week I wrote that the FAA would be trying to convince the world’s regulators to re-certify the Boeing 737 MAX. American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said he expects the plane to fly in ‘weeks, not months’ but that the FAA would want a critical mass of other world regulators to sign off on the plane as well as part of convincing the public that it’s safe to fly — however several countries would likely be recalcitrant for political reasons.
Now the head of standards-setting trade group the International Air Transport Association says he expects the Boeing 737 MAX to return in 10 to 12 weeks.
The grounded Boeing 737 Max fleet isn’t expected to return to the skies for at least another 10 weeks, according to the airline industry’s main trade body.
…Alexandre de Juniac, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said at an event in South Korea Wednesday that the 737 Max wouldn’t fly until August at the earliest, according to several media reports.
“We do not expect something before 10 to 12 weeks in re-entry into service,” he said, before adding: “But it is not our hands. That is in the hands of regulators.”
IATA is planning a summit before August involving Boeing, regulators and airlines to discuss what must happen to get the plane back into service.
When the plane does fly I’ll be confident in United’s, Southwest’s, and American’s ability to operate it safely.
Beoing’s CEO, meanwhile, apologizes tonight on CBS Evening News saying that he “personally apologize[s]” to the families of victims of the Lion Air and Ethiopian crashes, and that it “affects [him] directly as a leader of this company, it’s very difficult.”
I’m not sure how much sympathy he’ll garner for the way the loss of other peoples’ lives affects him and causes him difficulty, however.
Have you ever NOT been confident of their ability to fly it safely. Meanwhile the plane kept crashing itself?
I would absolutely not fly the 737MAX on any airline! Boeing CEO didn’t want to ground them in the US (tried to convince Trump), bc it is money first, after 2 crashes and knowing of the problem, he is a slime! Just recently, Trump suggested that the 737 MAX get renamed? Another slime!!
With these untrustworthy slimes, no, I am not flying on the 737MAX! Although, I may rethink my position if the 737MAX can go 10 years flying without crashing due to design or sw.
BTW – The Boeing CEO needs to ball up and start flying to his company meetings and personal use on the 737MAX and show to everyone that it is safe. It may takes years to convince the public, but at least he would be putting his money where his mouth is!
-Software Engineer
@Nathan, good point: it’s not the pilots who can’t fly it, it is the plane that can’t keep itself airborne.
The DC -10’s reputation was permenantly marred after two catastrophic crashes, neither of which were pilot error. And another DC-10 almost crashed due to the defective cargo door design that brought down the Turkish plane over Paris. I wouldn’t be surprised if the 737 max’s reputation suffers the same fate.
Boeing’s CEO makes Doug Parker look popular and wise right now. Boeing has worked mightily to blame everyone but themselves. If this can be laid to rest, it will take years to regain the trust that they held.
@Gary Leff, You say you will be confident in the ability of United, American and Southwest to operate the Max safely. Does that mean other airlines not so much?
If some regulatory agencies may be recalcitrant to unground the Max for “political” reasons, then it is equally possible that “political” reasons also factored into the FAA deciding not to ground the jet after the first crash, being the last agency in the world to ground it after the second one, and deciding to unground it when Boeing says so.
Even once the Max becomes recertified, I would not be surprised if at least some airlines rethink existing and potential orders for it. Thanks Boeing and FAA. Our trade deficits are bad enough as is.
Boeing’s CEO offering an apology and any ‘tears’ after months of stating that it was pilot error and the records of the airline is complete BS. His tears are mostly from Boeing stocks falling more and his eventual termination.
Well it very may be true that some countries are “recalcitrant” don’t want to re-certify the 737-Max for “political reasons”, however there will be many more countries who are “recalcitrant” and don’t want to re-certify the 737-Max because it is a POS.
Boeing wants to spin the narrative that this is a software issue, it is not a software issue. This is a design flaw. They moved the engines forward on the wing and it has changed the aerodynamics and Angle of Attack of the plane. They have countered this with software.
It is tantamount to a car manufacturer building a four door SUV on the chassis of a motorcycle. Everyone knows you cannot balance a four door SUV on a two wheel motorcycle chassis, but they went and designed software to make it work. Then when the whole thing collapses and kills 346 people, you blame the computer software and simply need an ‘update’.
I am not getting on a 737-Max for any reason short of the last evacuation flight out of a war zone. I no longer trust Boeing and their pursuit of profits over my safety.
@Christian Thank you for your kind words
@Paul – my thoughts exactly. All this talk of buggy software is just spin. The truth is that Boeing designed a fundamentally unstable and unsafe aircraft and tried to cover it up with software.
I’m not getting on a -MAX either.
The A320 also suffered through a lot of crashes at its introduction. It was also fixed.
Would happily fly on a 737 Max once the issues have been rectified
Fortunately my two main airlines, United and Alaska (I live near Seattle; Alaska owns the place) fly Airbus as well as Boeing. I will choose an A319/320/321 first, then a 737NG. I will never fly a 737MAX. I don’t think its fundamental design flaw can be fixed by software.