No simulator time expected for 737 Max return: Southwest

Southwest Airlines does not expect its pilots to undergo simulator training as part of a process to return the Boeing 737 Max to service, as the carrier stresses its aviators are well-equipped to handle a problem that has emerged as a common link between 2 fatal crashes of the aircraft type. "We are not hearing that will be a requirement," CE Gary Kelly said Thursday, in response to questions on whether pilots will have to undergo simulator training ahead of the aircraft's return to service. Kelly says these indications were drawn from discussions the airline has had with several parties, including its pilots union, the FAA and Boeing. He stresses that the pilots of Southwest, the largest 737 operator in the world, are "extensively trained". "Managing the aircraft in a runaway stabiliser scenario is something that we've already covered," says Kelly. <br/>