With or without Walsh, BA parent will welcome back Boeing’s Max

Outgoing IAG SA CEO Willie Walsh said the airline group is “fully committed” to signing a $24b order for Boeing’s troubled Max jetliner, even though the ultimate decision to proceed with the deal is set to fall to his successor. Once the Max is re-certified safe to fly again after two fatal crashes, the BA owner will have no lingering concerns, said Walsh, who will bring his nine-year tenure to a close on March 26. The 200-plane purchase will be finalized once the aircraft is ready to return to service, something Walsh said he expects will take place in the second half. IAG’s confidence in the jet, as Luis Gallego prepares to take charge, is a boost for Boeing after the planemaker posted its first loss in two decades on the back of the grounding almost a year ago. The outline deal made headlines at June’s Paris Air Show, yet the crisis has dragged on as the US company seeks regulatory approval for fixes to a software system blamed for the tragedies. Boeing reckons the ban on the Max will be lifted mid-year. Walsh, a former pilot, reasserted his backing for the model, saying he’d be happy to fly in it after an exhaustive re-certification process.<br/>