The US authorities have still not issued any approval and so the US aircraft manufacturer is coming under more and more pressure. Money is at stake for Boeing – but so are jobs.
The US aircraft manufacturer Boeing is threatened with a new crisis with its important model series 737 Max. The largest version of the series to date, the 737 Max 10, still hasn’t received US regulatory approval and is due for certification at the end of the year.
Without an agreement with Congress, Boeing could be forced to discontinue the 737 Max 10, CEO Dave Calhoun told Aviation Week. For the Airbus rival, the end of the jet would be a major setback – airlines have already ordered more than 600 copies.
background
The background to the conflict with the US Congress are new safety precautions and regulations in the wake of two crashes by 737 Max planes, in which a total of 346 people died in 2018 and 2019. The cause of the accident was defective control software. The US air traffic control authority FAA lifted the launch ban for the series in November 2020 after repairs by Boeing. But the 737 Max 10 – the newest and longest version of the model series – is still not certified. Boeing is to retrofit the machines. But the manufacturer is running out of time.
It is unclear whether the US Congress will meet Boeing again after the first 737 Max debacle. One thing is certain: it is also about jobs and investments. With the public consideration of retiring the 737 Max 10, Calhoun is not reducing the pressure on politicians. The core issue is whether Boeing’s competitor to Airbus’ best-selling A321neo meets the latest safety requirements. If the US regulators do not wave the 737 Max 10 through by the end of the year or grant a delay, Boeing is threatened with the expensive introduction of a completely new cockpit warning system due to a change in the law in 2020.
At the same time, Calhoun made it clear that he still had full confidence in the 737 Max 10: “We believe in this aircraft – period”. When asked, a Boeing spokeswoman also emphasized that the company was still striving for approval. “As we have said, we are transparently working with the FAA to provide the information needed.” Boeing feels obliged to meet the expectations of the aviation authority and also those of its customers in order to be able to have the 737 Max 10 certified and ultimately to be able to deliver it.
