Boeing Max return at risk in major work-from-home challenge

Of all the twists that have complicated the ungrounding of Boeing’s 737 Max, this one might be the strangest: A global pandemic is keeping regulators from being in the same room. With airlines flying a fraction of their pre-virus schedules and production at many of the planemaker’s own facilities suspended, a small Boeing team has continued testing the latest software changes on the Max. The planes are wiped down and sealed between flights, according to people familiar with the situation. Boeing is sticking to its estimate of a mid-year return to service. But to do so, the manufacturer will have to pull off the ultimate work-from-home challenge: certifying an airplane with regulators who are self-isolating on different continents. One analyst, Carter Copeland of Melius Research, predicted this week that with the logistical hurdles, the Max’s return is at risk of slipping one to three months. “It is now difficult, if not impossible, for various global regulatory staff to get into the country, and the FAA’s task list now includes many immense challenges related to Covid-19,” he wrote in a note to clients. A delay would add to the breathtaking challenges confronting Dave Calhoun, Boeing’s new CEO, and further squeeze the planemaker’s cash. <br/>