The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed it is conducting 737 MAX certification flights in conjunction with Boeing to test changes to the aircraft’s automated flight control system.
“The FAA and Boeing are conducting a series of certification flights this week to evaluate Boeing’s proposed changes to the automated flight control system on the 737 MAX,” the FAA said in a statement issued June 29.
The FAA added: “The certification flights are expected to take approximately three days. They will include a wide array of flight maneuvers and emergency procedures to assess whether the changes meet FAA certification standards. The tests are being conducted by test pilots and engineers from the FAA and Boeing.”
The FAA said that while test flights “are an important milestone, a number of key tasks remain” before the agency will certify the aircraft to return to service. “The FAA is following a deliberate process and will take the time it needs to thoroughly review Boeing’s work,” the FAA stated. “We will lift the grounding order only after we are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards.”