FAA, Boeing complete 737 MAX certification test flights

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday that it and Boeing completed certification test flights on the 737 MAX, a key milestone toward the plane’s return to service.

The MAX has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes in five months killed 346 people.

The FAA said it must still evaluate the data from the three days of testing and has other tasks to complete. “The agency is following a deliberate process and will take the time it needs to thoroughly review Boeing’s work. We will lift the grounding order only after FAA safety experts are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards,” the FAA said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)