In the ongoing crisis of Boeing 737 Max that is still grounded around the world, EASA has revealed that it will not accept FAA verdict on airworthiness of 737 Max and that it will make it’s own decision on four conditions laid out to Boeing.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) decided to run its own tests on Boeing 737 Max before returning it to commercial flights instead of accepting a US verdict on the plane’s safety.
In the letter sent on 1 April, EASA declared to The US Federal Aviation Administration that there would be “no delegation” on safety approval. Furthermore, this Monday EASA’s chief executive, Patrick Ky, revealed a list of four conditions given to the US authorities in a presentation to the European Parliament’s Committee on transport and tourism.
The list of four conditions that need to be met before Boeing 737 Max flights in Europe could resume:
- 1. to accept delegation that has to be met before flights in Europe could resume
- 2. an “additional and broader independent design review” by EASA
- 3. that the two fatal crashes were “deemed sufficiently understood”
- 4. and that flight crews had been adequately trained in any changes to the plane.
This European move is a turning point in the established international practice of aviation regulators accepting each other’s standards.
The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded since March due to two fatal crashes: an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft crashed shortly after take-off on 10 March, killing 157 people and a Lion Air crash on 28 October 2018 that killed 189 people. In both accidents, the investigation focus is on MCAS (Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System), a software system designed to make the aircraft easier to fly. Researches have shown that the failure of sensors, controlled by software, contributed to pilots inability to control the aircraft.
FAA’s spokesperson said:
“Our first priority is safety, and we have set no timeframe for when the work will be completed. Each government will make its own decision to return the aircraft to service, based on a thorough safety assessment.”
