FAA Gives Boeing OK To Resume 737 Max Passenger Service

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A Boeing 737 Max jet, piloted by Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson, flies past parked Boeing jets as it prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in September.

Elaine Thompson/AP

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Elaine Thompson/AP

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Boeing Knew About 737 Max Sensor Problem Before Plane Crash In Indonesia

Boeing has admitted that it knew about problems with the plane a year before the deadly crashes, but failed to take action. Investigators looking into the cause of the crashes found a «culture of concealment at the manufacturer. Critics have accused the company of cutting corners in a rush to development the 737 Max, which was billed to airlines as a new, more efficient version of the venerable medium-haul airframe.

Boeing and the FAA were also widely criticized over the way the 737 Max was first certified. A congressional inquiry found «a disturbing pattern of technical miscalculations and troubling management misjudgments by the airplane maker and «grossly insufficient oversight by the FAA.

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In September, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines pilot and executive, made good on a promise not sign off on recertifying the Max until he flew the plane himself. On Sept. 30, Dickson piloted a 737 Max out of Boeing Field in Seattle, putting it through its paces to test the flight control system.

«I liked what I saw, he told reporters after landing.

However, families of the victims of the crashes say they don’t believe the plane is safe yet.

Naoise Ryan, whose husband Mick died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, says neither Boeing nor the FAA has provided enough information about the fixes to convince her.

«We want answers as to why the crash happened and also we want answers to exactly what they’ve done to make sure this never happens again, Ryan said.

Michael Stumo, father of 24-year old Samya Rose Stumo, who died on the flight as Ryan’s husband, urged passengers to avoid flying on the 737 Max.

«They say [to] trust us just like before, he said. «[But] they don’t meet with us. They meet with each other. And we cannot trust this plane.

That distrust has also tainted the Boeing brand. Although the FAA says it is safe for passengers to fly on 737 Max again, the plane’s image may have suffered irreparable damage. When the 737 Max returns to the skies, as planned, some airlines are likely to downplay the «Max label using the plane’s formal variant names, such as «737 -7 or «737 -8, instead, Reuters reports, citing industry sources familiar with the branding.

«You will see the MAX name used less frequently, one of the sources told the news agency.

Last year, Brand Finance estimated that the 737 Max’s problems had caused $7.5 billion in damage to Boeing’s brand.