European flight safety agency to start 737 Max test flights

Europe's flight safety authority said Thursday it had scheduled the first flight tests for the Boeing 737 Max, which has been grounded worldwide after two deadly crashes revealed design issues with the jet. The European Aviation Safety Agency said that it has been working with the US FAA, which began its own recertification test flights in June, on scheduling its own tests. “While Boeing still has some final actions to close off, EASA judges the overall maturity of the re-design process is now sufficient to proceed to flight tests,” the agency said. “These are a prerequisite for the European agency to approve the aircraft’s new design.” EASA said the hope is to return the plane to service as soon as possible, but only once the agency is convinced it is safe.<br/>