The American Airlines pilots’ union has come out firmly against proposals to get Boeing a deadline extension from Congress so that it may fix the cockpit system in its 737 MAX 7 and 10 models, which alerts the crew when something is wrong. They have angrily disagreed with Boeing’s claim that it is safer to have a single standard system for all 737 models.
According to Capt. Edward Sicher, president of the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, ‘Boeing needs to move forward with installing contemporary crew alerting systems on these aircraft to mitigate pilot startle-effect and confusion during complex, compound system malfunctions’. Sicher made the comment to Reuters on Wednesday.
The Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, passed by Congress in December 2020, strengthened the requirements for obtaining a type certificate for a new aircraft. On January 1st, 2023, it will go into effect. The 737 MAX was grounded for 20 months as a result of two deadly disasters that claimed 346 lives and prompted the Congress to pass a measure. However, the Federal Aviation Administration requested an extension to the deadline on Monday, stating in a letter to the Senate that Boeing won’t be able to certify the MAX 10 and Max 7 before next summer.
In answer to a query from Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker, FAA Administrator Billy Nolen wrote: ‘With regard to the 737-10, Boeing’s current project plan timetable has the 737-10 earning an upgraded type certificate no earlier than summer 2023’. The new cockpit system has only been certified for use with the MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft. Additionally opposed to extending Boeing’s contract are the families of those killed in the MAX plane crashes.
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