U.S. plane-maker Boeing said on Friday that it has completed developing an updated software for the 737 MAX aircraft, which have been grounded globally for more than two months after they were involved in two fatal crashes in a span of five months.
Boeing has also completed simulator testing and conducted an engineering test flight for more than 360 hours and 207 flights with the updated software, it said in a statement.
Next, Boeing would work with American aviation regulatory body, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to provide information on how pilots interact with airplane controls and displays in different flight scenarios. Subsequently, Boeing and FAA would schedule a certification test flight and regulatory bodies of various countries will take a call on permitting 737 MAX to resume flying.
Among Indian carriers, SpiceJet is the only airline that operates this plane. The carrier has 12 MAX planes in its fleet.
“We’re making clear and steady progress and are confident that the 737 MAX with updated MCAS software will be one of the safest airplanes ever to fly,” said Boeing chairman president and CEO Dennis Muilenburg.
Boeing had also developed education and training material, which were also being reviewed by FAA.
The 737 MAX was grounded by regulatory bodies across the world following Ethiopian Airlines crash in March which killed all 157 on board. Following global outrage over safety concerns about the plane, Boeing announced grounding of all 371 MAX aircraft across the world. Ethiopian Airlines crash was preceded by Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October that killed 189 people.
