Boeing said Tuesday it is recommending that pilots receive training in a flight simulator before the grounded 737 Max returns to flying, a reversal of the company's long-held position that computer-based training alone was adequate.
The recommendation is based on changes to the plane, results from tests involving a small number of pilots, and a commitment to the safe return of the Max, Boeing said.
"The FAA is following a thorough process, not a set timeline, to ensure that any design modifications to the 737 Max are integrated with appropriate training and procedures," Lunsford said. Boeing even offered to pay Southwest Airlines a rebate of $1 million per plane if pilots needed simulator training before flying the Max.
Similarly, the chairman of a congressional panel investigating Boeing said the company's endorsement of simulator training was welcome but overdue. U.S. pilot unions stood by Boeing and vouched for the Max's safety after the first crash, in Indonesia in October 2018. The American Airlines union said last April that pilots should practice certain emergencies in a simulator -- but only as part of regular training and not necessarily before the Max returned.
It is not clear whether a requirement for simulator training would further delay the return of the Max, which is costing Boeing billions and forcing airlines to cancel thousands of flights. About 800 Max jets have been built, and they were expected to become a bigger part of the fleets at many airlines.
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