European aviation regulators have scheduled test flights for Boeing’s beleaguered 737 Max plane.
Boeing’s best-selling aircraft was grounded last year after two crashes killed all 346 people on the flights.
The flights will take place in Vancouver from September 7, following simulator tests which will start at Gatwick from September 1.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said it has been “working steadily in close cooperation” with the US Federal Aviation Administration and manufacturer Boeing to return the 737 Max aircraft to service “as soon as possible, but only once it is convinced it is safe”.
EASA said in a statement: “While Boeing still has some final actions to close off, EASA judges the overall maturity of the re-design process is now sufficient to proceed to flight tests.
“These are a prerequisite for the European agency to approve the aircraft’s new design.”
The agency said the plans for flight tests had been hindered by Covid-19 travel restrictions between Europe and the US.
Aviation regulators grounded the 737 Max in March 2019 following two crashes – a Lion Air flight and an Ethiopian Airlines flight – within five months of each other.