Paris (AFP)
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will authorize the return to flight of the Boeing 737 MAX "next week", after modifications made to the aircraft following two accidents that claimed the lives of 346 people, announced Tuesday the director of the European regulator, Patrick Ky.
"We expect to publish it (the airworthiness directive, editor's note) next week. From our point of view, the MAX will be able to fly again (in Europe) from next week", explained Mr. Ky during a conference press release by video with the German aeronautical press association Luftfahrt-Presse-Club (LPC).
"We have reached the stage where our four prerequisites have been met," Ky continued, citing "the good understanding of what had happened", the fact that "all the factors which contributed to the accidents have been addressed" , that a number of "critical" points can be verified by EASA itself and that the pilots are "properly informed and trained".
In November, the United States Aviation Agency (FAA), the primary certification body for an American aircraft, then the Brazilian authorities, gave the green light for the return to service.
Canada announced Monday that it would authorize the resumption of flights on its territory of the Boeing 737 MAX on Wednesday.
The authorization to fly in Europe for the 737 MAX means that Boeing, stunned by the setbacks of the last generation of its medium-haul and by the coronavirus crisis, will be able to resume its deliveries to the continent.
The manufacturer can therefore hope to improve its profitability, with customers paying most of the bill when they take possession of the planes.
© 2021 AFP