Boeing 737 MAX Fleet Could Receive European Approval in November

Aviation authorities in Europe revealed Boeing’s fleet of 737 MAX planes could receive regulatory approval to resume flying in November.

According to Reuters.com, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) executive director Patrick Ky said the group expects to lift its technical ban soon after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approves the planes for flight again.

While national operational clearances for individual airlines will take longer to receive, Ky believes the overarching technical ban will be lifted in November. The EASA said China is expected to take longer to give its approval.

“For the first time in a year and a half I can say there’s an end in sight to work on the MAX,” Ky told Reuters.

As part of the findings from the two deadly crashes that grounded the 737 MAX, Boeing agreed to install a synthetic sensor on the next version of the plane. Existing aircraft will be retrofitted once the fleet is permitted to fly again.

During the summer, the FAA completed test flights of the 737 MAX and launched a review period that could lead to the fleet being cleared by October at the earliest. Once cleared, airlines must retrain pilots and perform maintenance on the grounded fleet before returning to service.