U.S. Airlines Still Have Lots to Do to Put the 737 Max in the Air After FAA Approval
Skift Take
The U.S. has cleared the Boeing 737 Max to fly, but global regulators still need more time. Still, it's good news for U.S. airlines and for Boeing, ending the longest grounding in aviation history.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the Boeing 737 Max to fly again, ending a 20-month grounding in the wake of two fatal accidents, but Boeing's best-selling aircraft will be limited to the U.S. for now. In a break with the past, regulators around the world are waiting to review the FAA's decision before re-certifying the aircraft in their countries.
The process is unfolding in reverse of how it did in the spring of 2019, when regulators outside of the U.S. began grounding the 737 Max, leaving the FAA the lone holdout for several days, until March 13, 2019, when it finally grounded the aircraft. Usually, regulators follow the lead of the regulatory agency where the aircraft is manufactured, so FAA for Boeing aircraft and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for Airbus aircraft. But nothing about the 737 Max grounding has been normal, starting with the way it unfolded to the duration of the grounding, the longest in commercial aviation's history.
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