US FAA delays Boeing 737 MAX 10 certification, shares dive 7%
BA•The FAA said it will delay certification of Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 until a newly disclosed software issue is resolved. Boeing shares closed down 6.9%; FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford declined to estimate the delay’s length.
1. Certification delayed
The FAA said it would hold off certifying Boeing’s 737 MAX 10 until a software issue is resolved. The issue could prevent pilots from accessing automated flight guidance during a specific landing scenario, and Boeing said it is developing a software update.
2. Review and response
The FAA said the software could increase pilot workload during a go-around and plans to convene a Corrective Action Review Board. The review will assess whether the software poses an unreasonable safety risk. Bedford said supplier GE Aerospace may be able to develop a fix relatively quickly, but he could not say whether that would take days, weeks or months.
3. Airline operations
WestJet said it had not experienced in-service issues and did not consider the matter a safety concern, citing its operating procedures and training. Alaska Airlines and United Airlines said none of their aircraft currently use the affected software; United said it is not accepting deliveries of aircraft equipped with the version under review.
