by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:01 AM ET, Wed November 27, 2019
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Tuesday it would have full control over the approval of all new Boeing 737 MAX planes built since the fleet was grounded in March.
According to CNBC.com, FAA officials said they would be responsible for the entire safety certification process, instead of delegating some of the necessary steps to Boeing employees as done in the past.
While the mandate includes each of the more than 300 MAX planes built since the grounding, it does not cover the nearly 400 aircraft delivered before two deadly accidents that killed 346 people.
The decision was made after FAA officials were grilled by lawmakers about giving Boeing employees too much authority in the certification process of the MAX fleet. The FAA reportedly relied on analysis and testing conducted by Boeing that was overseen by federal inspectors.
Boeing officials recently said it expects to resume deliveries of the MAX planes in December and believes the fleet will be cleared to fly again in early 2020. FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said the grounded aircraft would only be approved for flights when all the safety certifications are completed.
Dickson told FAA employees "to take the time you need and focus solely on safety."
In response, Boeing spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Tuesday, "We will continue to work closely with the FAA on the safe return to service of the MAX fleet."
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