A panel from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has nearly completed its report aimed at criticising Boeing's approval procedures for the planemaker's 737 MAX jets, WSJ reported on late Monday.
The report added that the FAA did not pay attention to some of the most essential changes in the plane's design.
The Joint Authorities Technical Review (JATR), the FAA's multi-agency panel, includes regulators from Indonesia, China, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, the European Union, United States and Brazil, and is expected to publish the report in the next few weeks, the WSJ said.
A panel of international air-safety regulators is finishing a report expected to criticize the initial U.S. approval of Boeing 737 MAX jets https://t.co/hmSL0Cfy8z
— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) September 16, 2019
The article also said that the panel was expected to urge tighter intergovernmental data-sharing and transparency, in addition to calling for a review and update of FAA guidance and daily certification protocols to keep the watchdog involved in supervising new onboard systems.
A Boeing spokesperson said: “We look forward to the publication of the JATR report when it is complete.
The spokesperson added that the company continued to work alongside international regulators return the 737 MAX to service.
Latest Updates On The 737 MAX Crisis
The latest developments come after US president Donald Trump chose Stephen Dickson in August to head the FAA, where he was tasked with saving the agency's reputation after it was slammed in multiple sessions in Congress after officials demanded stricter oversight into Boeing's progress in resolving its embattled jet.
Dickson's appointment comes after two fatal crashes involving the 737 MAX, with one near Indonesia last October and another in March with Ethiopian Airlines, killing a total of 348 passengers. Following the disasters, aviation authorities grounded the planes across the world over the plane's design, namely the Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) which malfunctioned, sending both planes into a nosedive before the crashes.
The new FAA chief said that he would travel to Seattle to test changes to the plane's software systems, and told CNBC that he was "anxious" to "look into this myself and see where we are with the certification process".
He added: "I can I guarantee you that the airplane will not be flying again until I'm satisfied that it's the safest thing out there.
Mr Dickson, a former executive to Delta Airlines, said that he would refuse to allow the 737 MAX to fly unless he was certain that the plane was safe to recertify, adding that the FAA was not "following any timeline for returning the aircraft to service".
But India, who's low-cost carrier SpiceJet ordered 205 737 MAX, has said that it would launch its own checks and supervise simulation training before allowing the jet to return to its skies, Bloomberg reported on Monday, citing a person knowledgeable on the matter. India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation does not expect for the plane to return to service before next year, the source said. New Delhi is expected to follow the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), who demanded five changes to the aircraft in July before allowing it to fly across European airspace.
US carriers American Airlines and United Airlines have extended flight cancellations of Boeing 737 MAX flights until 3 and 19 December, respectively. American Airlines has been forced to cancel 140 flights each day and pay compensation to passengers. Southwest Airlines, the US's third-largest carrier, also said it would ground the troubled jet through 2020.
