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Crucial meeting set for Boeing 737 Max software fix

An update on reviews of Boeing’s 737 Max software fix and new pilot training is due to be given by the US Federal Aviation Administration today (Thursday).

The meeting in Texas will involve 57 regulators from 33 countries, including China, France, Germany and the UK, as well as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. 

The safety analysis will determine when the 737 Max can return to service in the US.

The FAA also said it “will provide safety experts to answer any questions participants have related to their respective decisions to return the fleet to service”.

But it is unclear if the aircraft will be allowed to resume operations before the end of the peak summer travel season.

The head of the FAA has raised the possibility that it could take months longer to certify the new generation aircraft as safe to fly, the Financial Times reported.

The summit of aviation regulators comes as China’s top three airlines were reported to be the first to seek compensation over the grounding of the 737 Max.

The global fleet of 737 Max has been grounded since March following two fatal crashes involving the aircraft in five months.

China operates the largest fleet of the Max and was the first country to take the aircraft out of service after the Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crash in March which killed all 157 people on board.

A total of 189 people were killed in a Lion Air crash involving the same type in October.

 

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