Page 5 - AAA MAY - JUNE 2019 Online Magazine

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have known that finding a fix to get the plane back in the air would
be the easy part. On May 16, the company announced that it had
finished the development of a software fix to ensure the safety of
the airplane, but events over the last few weeks have proved, as
industry experts predicted, that convincing the regulatory bodies
is going to be hard. Earning the confidence of operators and the
Uphill flying public once again is going to be even harder.
Battle At an investor conference in New York on May 29, Muilenburg admit-

ted that the road ahead was long and arduous. “We know ... that the
public’s confidence has been hurt by these accidents and that we
have work to do to earn and re-earn the trust of the flying public,
and we will do that,” he said. “We are taking all actions necessary
to make sure that accidents like those two never happen again.” As
THE 737 MAX WILL START FLYING part of its efforts to convince the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) about the efficacy of the software fix, Boeing is conducting
AGAIN AT SOME POINT IN THE simulated flights of the aircraft. Muilenburg, who expects the planes
FUTURE, BUT BOEING AND to start flying again by the end of the year, says the company plans
OPERATORS OF THE AIRCRAFT to fly the 737 Max aircraft, its bestseller, with the FAA “very soon.”
HAVE WORK TO DO TO REGAIN
THE TRUST OF THE FLYING Erring on the Side of Caution
There is general consensus among aviation safety agencies around
PUBLIC the world that the aircraft shouldn’t be rushed back into service. The
International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the earliest the
Arun Sivasankaran plane could fly is in August. The US’ Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), which was the last regulatory agency to ground the aircraft,
Ever since the Ethiopian Air Boeing 737 Max says it has not set a timetable approve the plane’s re-entry into
crashed on March 10, making it the second such service. Industry experts say cooperation among various safety
crash of the aircraft in less than six months and agencies is crucial to regain public confidence. Airline chiefs say
taking the total toll to 346, Boeing CEO Dennis that Boeing must convince regulators worldwide, and not just the
Muilenburg and others at the company must FAA, of the 737’s safety, if it’s to restore faith in the model.

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