Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan discuss energy joint cooperation and climate action    Vegetation cover in Saudi nature reserve increases to 8.5%    Largest international conference for religious leaders in Asia to be hosted in Kuala Lumpur    Defense minister launches King Faisal Air Academy's new facilities, attends graduation ceremony    Groundbreaking Ceremony for Al-Asasyah Advanced Industry HVAC Smart Factory in Dammam    Saudi Arabia among top 20 global car markets    Key Car rental introduces innovative monthly key subscription service    Prince Badr Bin Abdulmohsin, icon of Saudi poetry, dies at 75    Health Ministry reports no new cases in food poisoning incident, one death confirmed    Targeting Rafah could lead to slaughter, warns UN aid agency    Japan calls Biden 'xenophobic' comments 'unfortunate'    Saudi Arabia initiates anti-dumping probe into steel imports from China and Taiwan    Loay Nazer announces candidacy for presidency of Al-Ittihad    Al-Nassr sets up thrilling clash with Al-Hilal in King's Cup final after defeating Al-Khaleej    Karim Benzema seeks medical consultation in Madrid for ongoing injuries    Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad in heated King's Cup semi-final    Infinix GT 20 Pro flagship launch: Revolutionizing esports-level gaming and ushering in a new era of the holistic gaming universe    SFDA: Breast-milk substitute products are sugar-free complying with Saudi specifications    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Riyadh premieres first Saudi opera    Australian police launch manhunt for Home and Away star Orpheus Pledger    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Airlines face scramble to restore 737 MAX flights once regulators approve fix
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 17 - 05 - 2019

SEATTLE — Once global regulators clear Boeing Co's 737 MAX to fly again after deadly crashes, airlines which have put their fleets into mechanical hibernation since March will scramble to begin the biggest ungrounding effort in history.
Quickly reintegrating Boeing's 737 MAX, a fast-selling model because of its fuel efficiency, longer range, and passenger capacity, is crucial for optimizing airlines' routes and improving margins after having to cancel thousands of flights.
Global airlines have warned of a major hit to profits due to the mid-March grounding of the MAX following two fatal crashes.
International regulators are meeting on May 23 to review Boeing software and training plans, though doubts remain over how quickly foreign authorities will clear new flights.
In the United States, following regulatory approval of a Boeing software fix and new training, airlines will have to run through an FAA-approved checklist, industry officials say.
Such work, which will vary by operator, includes cycling the engines, changing and filling fluids, removing covers from the engines and running routine electrical and hydraulics checks.
Each airline will also have to upload Boeing's new software for an anti-stall system implicated in the crashes and complete additional pilot training.
Jason Goldberg, spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, said it will take about a week to prepare American Airline Group Inc's MAX fleet to fly, not counting the extra training.
"While the planes are in storage there is of course maintenance that can be done. But as far as steps to put it back into service, none of the work is going to be done until the aircraft is cleared to fly."
Airlines likely halted standard daily systems checks while the planes were in storage, said one former Boeing test pilot. Similar to a modern car, when mechanics restore power to the aircraft, built-in testing equipment runs checks on sensors gauging the health of aircraft systems from hydraulics and to fuel — known as a 'BITE' test — that would signal failures.
Another issue is pilot training.
Boeing said on Thursday it was in the process of submitting a plan on pilot training to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for approval, after which each airline will develop its own FAA-approved training program.
Southwest Airlines Co, the world's largest MAX operator, has agreed a 30-day window with its 10,000 pilots to implement new MAX training, said Mike Trevino, spokesman for Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.
"If it's computer-based training, that won't be difficult to deploy. The pilots can do it at home," he said.
A draft report by an FAA-appointed board of pilots, engineers and other experts concluded that pilots only need additional computer-based training, rather than simulator time, though other regulators and some pilot groups have argued for more.
Southwest is expected to upload the new software at a facility in the California desert where its 34 MAX jets are parked, while American Airlines is expected to install the software at its Tulsa, Oklahoma maintenance facility.
Southwest and American have scheduled MAX flights as of Aug. 6 and Aug. 20 respectively. If the jets are not cleared to fly by then, the airlines will be forced to again cancel more than 100 daily flights. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.