EU safety watchdog poised to clear Boeing 737 Max for flight

Europe’s aviation safety regulator is poised to clear Boeing’s 737 Max passenger jet for a return to service by the end of this year as questions over the future of the troubled aircraft intensify amid rising cancellations. The signal from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency removes a substantial barrier to the single aisle aircraft’s global return to service after two fatal crashes that killed 346 people. Easa has insisted on closer oversight of the recertification process since the jet was grounded in March 2019, when it emerged that a faulty anti-stall system had contributed to the crashes. Since then, inquiries have found that Boeing concealed information from regulators and pilots about the systems’ weaknesses. The US FAA has come under heavy fire at home and abroad for its weak oversight of the development of the 737 Max. Boeing has spent billions to repair the problem and in compensating victims and airlines. Patrick Ky, Easa executive director, told Bloomberg in an interview that the agency was performing final document reviews ahead of a draft airworthiness directive it expects to issue next month. “Our analysis is showing that this is safe, and the level of safety reached is high enough for us,” Ky said. Easa’s stamp of approval takes Boeing a step closer to relaunching deliveries of its ill-starred single aisle. The FAA is also in the final stages of recertification, having this month released new recommendations for pilot training.<br/>