Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Chief Steve Dickson is set to conduct an evaluation flight at the controls of a Boeing 737 MAX next week, a key milestone as the U.S. planemaker works to win approval to resume flights, the agency told lawmakers, Reuters reported.
See also: Boeing would be preparing to move all production on the 787 to South Carolina.
Dickson, who was previously a commercial airline pilot, plans to undergo simulator training before the flight and will then share his observations with FAA technical staff.
It is not typical for an FAA administrator to fly an airplane before it returns to service. Dickson has repeatedly said he would not sign off until he flew it himself and was “satisfied that I would put my own family on it without a second thought.”
See also: Boeing brings a hand lamp into production to disinfect its aircraft.
The FAA told U.S. lawmakers in an email Friday that Dickson and FAA Deputy Administrator Dan Elwell “will be in Seattle next week to take the recommended training.” The flight by Dickson will fulfill “his promise to fly the aircraft before the FAA approves its return to service.”
Related Topics
Boeing Requests Emissions Exemption from FAA to Sell 35 777F Jets
FAA to Evaluate New Cockpit Alert System for Boeing 737 MAX 10: A Key Step Toward Certification
Southwest Airlines Expects Boeing 737 MAX 7 Certification by August 2026
Airbus Admits Boeing Likely to Win Order Race This Year
Líder en noticias de aviación