Boeing has told suppliers it will resume production of its best-selling 737 jets at a rate of 52 aircraft per month in Feb 2020, then stepping up to a record 57 jets monthly in June, people familiar with the matter said. Boeing told more than 100 suppliers during at least one Web meeting July 30 that the new schedule depended upon regulators approving the 737 MAX to fly again commercially in Q4, one of the people said. One of the people expressed scepticism over the timing given the intense scrutiny from regulators that grounded the 737 MAX after deadly crashes. There is no guarantee when regulators will clear the 737 MAX to fly again, and Boeing CE Dennis Muilenburg told analysts last month that Boeing would consider further 737 output cuts or potentially suspending production if the grounding dragged on. <br/>
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The US FAA plans to test next month how pilots with around 1 year of experience flying Boeing 737 jets handle new software on the MAX model, sources with knowledge of the matter said. The tests indicate the FAA is making progress in the re-approval process of the MAX for commercial flight. Boeing has said it is working toward getting the 737 MAX flying again commercially in early Q4, once the FAA approves new pilot training and reprogrammed software for a stall-prevention system. As part of its own testing process Boeing has invited senior US airline pilots to experiment with the software fix. But the FAA wants to observe relatively inexperienced 737 pilots. One source said the test was supposed to be conducted during the first week of September but has been pushed back to the middle of the month. <br/>
At the National Aviation Conference Wednesday, chancellor Angela Merkel said that Germany should become a global leader in producing climate-friendly aviation technology. The global aviation industry is under pressure to reform, as green mobility is an integral part of international efforts to reverse climate change. Merkel emphasised that promoting a competitive and climate-friendly aviation industry in Germany depends on becoming an innovator in climate-friendly sources. "It is important that the aviation industry can demonstrate how growth is not always connected to emissions that are harmful to the climate," said Merkel. Wednesday, the German govt introduced the "Leipzig Statement for the Future of Aviation," a document signed by industry and govt officials outlining the future of climate-friendly German aviation. <br/>