FAA identifies design changes needed to return 737 MAX to service

SEATTLE — One day after the Federal Aviation Administration announced the changes Boeing needs to make so the Renton-built 737 MAX can carry passengers again, regulators in Europe said they have no firm date for when they’ll sign off on the fixes.

After the FAA and Boeing failed to certify the plane, international regulators are carefully scrutinizing the design changes, instead of rubber-stamping the FAA’s approval.

>> Related: Flight testing for Boeing’s 737 Max in progress

On Monday, the FAA gave Boeing a list of required design changes, including that the MCAS stall-prevention system must be connected to two sensors instead of one.

The previous system would also activate repeatedly.

“All of these are going to be fixed. The software is going to be fixed to allow pilots to override the MCAS -- they couldn’t do that before,” said Scott Hamilton, aviation industry consultant with Leeham Company.

Hamilton predicts that if the FAA recertifies the plane in October, it will take another month or two before it actually returns to service.

Pilots will need simulator training and there is a worldwide shortage of MAX simulators.

Boeing has 450 mothballed MAX planes that will need to be prepared and delivered -- something the company says could take a year.

“I’m really skeptical Boeing can clear that large of an inventory in 12 months, I think it will be closer to two years, 18 months,” Hamilton said.

Boeing issued a statement about the milestone: “We’re continuing to make steady progress towards safely returning the airplane to service, working closely with the FAA and other global regulators. While we still have a lot of work in front of us, this is an important milestone in the certification process.”

Cox Media Group