Boeing 737 Max: what to know now that the plane is back

The Boeing 737 Max, the latest generation of the legendary aircraft manufacturer’s 60-year workhorse, was an absolute disaster. But after nearly two years in the field, the 737 Max is making a comeback.

On Wednesday, the FAA issued an Airworthiness Directive revoking a March 2019 ground landing order on the Max. U.S. airlines will need to install fixes to aircraft flight computers before their Max fleets can actually fly and will have to submit flight programs. FAA pilot training for approval.

The global fleet of just under 400 Max jets was grounded after the second of two fatalities, which killed 346 people. Now, as the 737 is cleared to fly again and airlines work to get their Max jets back into service from the depot, questions remain: Can Boeing sell the plane again? Will passengers be willing to fly on it?

Those answers are for another time. But for now, familiarize yourself with how we got here with the timeline below.

The history of the 737 Max

The 737 Max is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737 and quickly became famous for its two fatalities. Investigators linked them to a faulty system called the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, designed to compensate for the Max with larger engines than previous 737 generations.

Investigations, hearings and other problems

The larger engines meant that the nose of the plane could tilt upward, potentially leading to a stall. To counteract the problem, MCAS could automatically point the nose down.

However, the system could be triggered by an incorrect reading from a single angle of attack sensor, with no redundancy or backup. In both 737 Max fatalities, the sensors are thought to have failed, sending incorrect data to the flight computer and, with no redundant control in place, activating the automated system.

But that was just the beginning.

Fights for airlines because their planes are unable to fly

Groundings were initially expected to last only a few weeks. But Boeing and the FAA found additional, unrelated security risks, which ultimately required Boeing to redesign the jet’s entire flight computer rather than just the MCAS software.

Airlines around the world eagerly awaited the return of the jet, finding themselves forced to cut capacity and routes as they canceled flights every month and the Max was out of service.

Fallout and the fall of an iconic American company

Although the collapse in travel demand due to the coronavirus pandemic has made airline needs a little less urgent – airlines have grounded more planes due to lower demand – the return of the Max will be a crucial part. of how the vectors will increase the pandemic recedes.

Boeing’s hopes are pinned on a successful reintroduction of the Max and on requiring the plane to return as passengers do. The aircraft manufacturer has booked just 42 orders for the aircraft since the crash began, and its backlog of 4,102 undelivered orders is rapidly decreasing. Since the start of the crisis, Boeing has recorded its worst loss in decades and has lost its title as the world’s largest aircraft manufacturer to Airbus.

Put the Max back into service

The process of getting the 737 Max back into the skies was long and arduous, marked by unexpected challenges and delays, as intense scrutiny uncovered new problems with the aircraft.

Acquisitions and layoffs at Boeing and beyond

The implications of the crisis extended far beyond Boeing. While the aircraft manufacturer has cut jobs due to grounding and the coronavirus pandemic, further cuts have occurred in the network of more than 600 manufacturers supplying components for the jet.