FAA Confirms Boeing 737 MAX Certification Flight on the Horizon

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) anticipates that the beleaguered Boeing 737 MAX’s certification flight will take place sometime in the next few weeks.

According to a Reuters report, FAA administrator Steve Dickson told reporters in London on Thursday that there will be “fewer variables” affecting the aircraft’s return to service once the certification flight is complete.

Bloomberg reported that Boeing recently discovered a new software problem involving an indicator light that’s designed to warn of a malfunction by the trim system, which helps raise and lower the plane’s nose. However, the company said that the issue shouldn’t affect the 737 MAX’s current timeline to return to service by mid-2020.

“We are incorporating a change to the 737 MAX software prior to the fleet returning to service to ensure that this indicator light only illuminates as intended,” Boeing said in an email to the outlet on Thursday.

When it comes to recertification, Dickson believes that international air safety regulators are likely to be in “very solid alignment” in regard to Boeing’s changes.

Southwest Airlines and other carriers recently extended cancellations of 737 MAX flights into June. Meanwhile, Boeing has taken a major financial hit in the months since two fatal crashes involving the troubled aircraft that killed a combined 346 people.

Boeing temporarily suspended the production of the 737 MAX last month.