Washington (AFP)
The United States on Wednesday cleared the Boeing 737 MAX to fly again, nearly two years after it came to rest in two crashes that killed 346 people in a five-month interval.
Several modifications will need to be made to the devices before they can be returned to service.
The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), the air regulator in the United States, also specifies in its press release Wednesday that it still has to approve the training necessary for pilots before any flight of the Boeing 737 MAX in the sky American.
The companies will also have to carry out maintenance work on the planes stationed on the tarmac of the airports for more than 20 months.
As for planes stored at Boeing, they will need to be examined by an FAA inspector before being sent to customers.
American Airlines has nevertheless already scheduled a flight at the end of December.
The 737 MAX, which was Boeing's sales engine before its setbacks, will not immediately return to the global sky: the civil aviation authorities of other countries have decided to carry out their own own certification.
This decision is an "important step", reacted the aircraft manufacturer in a statement, assuring to be ready to work with the regulators of the whole world for a rapid return to service.
"These events and the lessons we learned from them have reshaped our business and focused more on our core values of safety, quality and integrity," said CEO David Calhoun, quoted in the statement.
The Boeing 737 MAX will return to a sector hit hard by the pandemic.
With financially struggling airlines and sluggish traffic, Boeing lost a total of 393 orders in the first ten months of the year.
It will nevertheless resume its deliveries, which will allow it to be paid and to replenish its coffers.
The Seattle-based manufacturer currently has 450 aircraft in stock.
© 2020 AFP