Boeing 737 MAX timetable uncertain as regulators continue safety review

US and EU regulators said Tuesday they were still reviewing changes Boeing made to 737 MAX software after two fatal crashes, a development that raised questions about how quickly the grounded aircraft can return to service. The ongoing safety review means a key 737 MAX certification test flight is unlikely before November, two sources said. Boeing has repeatedly said it hopes to resume flights in Q4, which began on Oct. 1. Regulators sought to play down talk of transatlantic divisions over safety changes to the 737 MAX, which was grounded worldwide in March after two crashes killed 346 people within five months. The US FAA said it has a “transparent and collaborative relationship” with other civil aviation authorities as it continues its 737 MAX safety review. Its EU counterpart said it was in “continuous contact” with both the FAA and Boeing. “We do not at this stage have any specific concerns resulting from that assessment that would mean that we could not agree to a coordinated return to service. We are in continuous contact with both the FAA and Boeing,” an EASA spokeswoman said. FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Reuters in September the agency would need about a month following the yet-to-be scheduled certification test flight before the planes could return to service. The FAA reiterated on Tuesday that it does not have a firm date for completing its review. <br/>