SMARTING from criticism that allowed Boeing personnel to conduct safety checks for which the Federal Aviation Administration was responsible, the US federal agency has announced that it will do its own checks henceforth.
The authority the F granted Boeing employees to approve designs and other work has been controversial since the two 737 Max crashes in October 2018 and March this year killed 346 people.
The flight-control feature on the plane linked to the crashes was partially approved by Boeing's engineers, reported Bloomberg News.
The now grounded 737 Max jets will be replaced in some cases with new planes as Boeing prepares to finalise fixes and restart shipments. The Max, the company's best-selling model, has been banned from flying since March.
F Administrator Steve Dickson said the agency won't be rushed on Max assessments, even as tensions rise between the planemaker and the regulator.
That may add to the difficult logistics that Boeing faces once the Max is cleared to fly, as it works with airlines and lessors to return the jetliner to passenger service.
'The F notified Boeing today that the agency will retain authority over the issuance of Airworthiness Certificates for all newly manufactured 737 Max aircraft,' the agency said.
The company said earlier this month that it might be able to begin delivering the first of hundreds of idled planes before the end of the year. The F hasn't said whether it would allow that to happen before new pilot training standards are adopted early next year.
'We continue to follow the lead of the F on the safe return to service of the Max,' said Chaz Bickers, a spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing.
Boeing CEO Dennis told employees that agency staff wouldn't be pressured into hurrying their work. The agency must approve Boeing's software fixes and test them with groups of foreign pilots. Then its own test pilots must fly the planes as well.
The F statement Tuesday referred to more routine approvals the agency makes on individual aircraft built in the US to ensure they were built as designed.
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The authority the F granted Boeing employees to approve designs and other work has been controversial since the two 737 Max crashes in October 2018 and March this year killed 346 people.
The flight-control feature on the plane linked to the crashes was partially approved by Boeing's engineers, reported Bloomberg News.
The now grounded 737 Max jets will be replaced in some cases with new planes as Boeing prepares to finalise fixes and restart shipments. The Max, the company's best-selling model, has been banned from flying since March.
F Administrator Steve Dickson said the agency won't be rushed on Max assessments, even as tensions rise between the planemaker and the regulator.
That may add to the difficult logistics that Boeing faces once the Max is cleared to fly, as it works with airlines and lessors to return the jetliner to passenger service.
'The F notified Boeing today that the agency will retain authority over the issuance of Airworthiness Certificates for all newly manufactured 737 Max aircraft,' the agency said.
The company said earlier this month that it might be able to begin delivering the first of hundreds of idled planes before the end of the year. The F hasn't said whether it would allow that to happen before new pilot training standards are adopted early next year.
'We continue to follow the lead of the F on the safe return to service of the Max,' said Chaz Bickers, a spokesman for Chicago-based Boeing.
Boeing CEO Dennis told employees that agency staff wouldn't be pressured into hurrying their work. The agency must approve Boeing's software fixes and test them with groups of foreign pilots. Then its own test pilots must fly the planes as well.
The F statement Tuesday referred to more routine approvals the agency makes on individual aircraft built in the US to ensure they were built as designed.
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