Boeing's 737 MAX airliner will receive final clearance to resume flying in Europe next week, the head of the EU's air safety watchdog has said.
The EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is one of the last major regulators to approve changes to the MAX and its anti-stall software, blamed for two deadly crashes that grounded the jet in March 2019.
The European agency, which published a draft airworthiness directive in November, has made largely presentational adjustments after public consultations, executive director Patrick Ky said in an online media briefing.
"We expect to publish it next week, which means the MAX will be cleared to fly again," Ky said. A separate certification of the MAX-200 variant will likely follow in "coming weeks", he added, allowing flights to resume before summer.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Brazilian authorities both cleared the MAX for flight in November. Canada is expected to followed suit this week.
Following the crashes, EASA insisted on carrying out a broader and deeper review than it typically conducts on Boeing jets under the FAA's primary authority.
"Very Hard Line"
Last week, Emirates president Tim Clark credited the European regulator's "very hard line" for helping to restore public trust in the MAX.
News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
