The American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has secured first order for the grounded Boeing 737 MAX in nine months. Enter Air, Poland’s charter airline has confirmed the order for two B737 MAX aircraft with the intention to buy two additional jets.
The Enter Air currently operates with 22 Next Generation Boeing 737s and 2 B737 Max aircraft. Most of the orders for B737 MAX got canceled out after the Boeing Company failed to obtain the certification and approval from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to fly the aircraft again. More than 400 orders have been canceled for MAX this year.
The Polish charter carrier will receive compensation for the commercial loss from the grounding of the B737 Max. The details on the compensation are not disclosed as it remains confidential.
The aircraft is now set to return to the skies for which the company is preparing for more test flights. Transport Canada, a federal institution for transportation policies and programs will conduct test flights for the validation of Boeing’s grounded 737 MAX next week. This institution is said to be the first non-U.S. regulator to conduct test flights for certifying the aircraft.
B737 Max has been receiving immense support and global efforts to return the efficient plane to service again.
Foreign aviation regulatory bodies have been strictly observing and examining the software updates and training revisions. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has not scheduled any test flights for the Max aircraft.
NEW CHANGES IN B737 MAX AIRCRAFT
FAA recently released a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for the Boeing 737 Max which might be a good chance for the recertification.
This new proposal would require B737 Max aircraft to be equipped with a new flight-control computer (FCC) software that features new and revised flight crew procedures, installation of new Max Display System (MDS), changes to the horizontal stabilizer trim, Angle Of Attack (AOA) sensor systems and other necessary reforms.
UPDATED FCC SOFTWARE
As per the FAA, the updated FCC software with revised procedures will address the problem generated by the auto-activation of the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). The FCC software would limit the MCAS command to move the horizontal stabilizer thus, preventing aircraft to plummet automatically.
UPDATED MAX DISPLAY SYSTEM (MDS) SOFTWARE
An updated MDS will aware and alert flight crew on any fluctuations and disagreements between the angle of attack sensors. Pilots will receive an “AOA DISAGREE” alert on the Max aircraft with the updated MDS software.
UPDATED FLIGHT MANUAL
The flight manual for Max aircraft will be revised accordingly to let the flight crews identify and respond effectively to the undesired horizontal stabilizer movement. FAA will conduct an operational evaluation of the revised flight manual before they are finalized.
The new checklist will also be introduced that will allow pilots to operate the flights without unwanted errors.
UPDATED TRAINING FOR PILOTS
The new and revised training will be conducted for the Max pilots to familiarize themselves with the updated software and systems. The FAA will conduct an operational evaluation of the new training procedures jointly with the aviation regulatory agencies from Europe, Canada, and Brazil.
COST FOR THE B737 MAX UPDATE
The FAA has released a cost estimation for updating the software and systems of Boeing 737 Max aircraft for the US operators. FCC installation and verification will cost $6205, AFM revisions will require $6205, MDS installation and verification will cost $6205, stabilizer wiring change will be charged $766,865 while the AOA sensor system test will cost $248200.
WHY BOEING 737 MAX was grounded?
The two Boeing 737 Max aircraft crashed in 2018 and 2019 resulting in 346 fatalities (189 on Lion Air Flight 610 and 157 on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302). The B737 Max aircraft has been grounded after those fatal crashes which became the longest grounding ever of a U.S. airliner.
LION AIR FLIGHT 610
The low-cost airline Lion Air Boeing 737 Max operating flight JT 610 departing for Pangkal Pinang crashed after taking off from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The authorities lost contact with the aircraft after 13 minutes of takeoff.
The aircraft plunged into the Java Sea on 29 October 2018 killing all 189 people on board. The investigation revealed serious flight control errors that confused the flight crews. Later the FAA and the Boeing Company found the flaws on MCAS of the 737 MAX series which caused unusual and sharp automated dive.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 302
After the fatal Lion Air B737 Max crash, another deadly accident occurred on 10 March 2019 as the Ethiopian Airlines’ flight 302, a scheduled passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (Ethiopia) to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya crashed near the town of Bishoftu six minutes after takeoff.
All 157 people on board died in the fatal crash. This accident also encountered an uncontrolled drop in the MAX aircraft and later the Boeing Company was blamed for the fault on the MCAS system.
WILL TRAVELERS SHOW CONFIDENCE ON FLYING WITH B737 MAX?
This question has been ruling the internet as the Boeing Company will be unsure whether the re-certification will reinstall confidence on the travelers to fly with the MAX aircraft again. The majority of the people may opt to wait for more flight tests and approvals before choosing the MAX planes for their journey.
Lots of aviation Medias and fan pages on social Media have conducted polls on choosing or discarding B737 Max after its re-certification. Maximum of the social media users have opted to fly with the B737 Max if it addresses all the software, system faults and gets the validation from all the aviation regulatory bodies.
Critics have suggested the Boeing Company and the aviation regulatory agencies must not focus on doing things quickly instead work effectively to solve all the problems of MAX aircraft.
ABOUT THE BOEING 737 MAX
The 737 MAX family is designed by the Boeing Company to offer the greatest flexibility, reliability, and efficiency in the single-aisle market. The MAX aircraft feature the new Boeing Sky Interior, highlighted by modern sculpted sidewalls and window reveals, LED lighting that enhances the sense of spaciousness and larger pivoting overhead storage bins.
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