Edition: English | 中文简体 | 中文繁体 Монгол
Homepage > Exclusive

Stakes rise for Boeing as EU, Canada step up scrutiny of 737 MAX after crashes

Editor: Zhang Jianfeng 丨CGTN

03-21-2019 09:00 BJT

Europe and Canada said they would seek their own guarantees over the safety of Boeing's 737 MAX, further complicating plans to get the aircraft flying worldwide after they were grounded in the wake of two accidents killing more than 300 people.

As the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) analyses Boeing's plans for a software fix prompted by the first crash five months ago, the European Union's aviation safety agency EASA promised its own deep look at any design improvements.

"We will not allow the aircraft to fly if we have not found acceptable answers to all our questions," EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky told an EU parliament committee hearing.

Canada said it would independently certify the 737 MAX in the future, rather than accepting FAA validation, and would conduct an “exhaustive review” of the automated flight control system in MAX aircraft, known as MCAS, which experts believe may have played a role in both crashes.

Canada also said it would send a team to help U.S. authorities evaluate proposed design changes and decide if others were needed.

Boeing Co declined to comment. The company on Tuesday reshuffled the top executives in its commercial airplanes unit to focus on the accident investigations.

Boeing reshuffles top engineers

Boeing's commercial airplane division has brought in a new vice president of engineering while dedicating another top executive to the aircraft investigations, a company email showed on Tuesday.

John Hamilton, formerly both vice president and chief engineer in Boeing's Commercial Airplanes division, will focus solely on the role of chief engineer, the unit's Chief Executive Officer Kevin McAllister told employees on Tuesday in an email seen by Reuters.

"This will allow him to fully dedicate his attention to the ongoing accident investigations," McAllister said, adding that the staffing changes were needed as "we prioritize and bring on additional resources for the ongoing accident investigations."

Lynne Hopper – who previously led Test & Evaluation in Boeing's Engineering, Test & Technology group – has been named vice president of Engineering, McAllister said.

A Boeing spokesman declined to comment but confirmed the authenticity of the email.

Follow us on

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Instagram

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Wechat