Boeing aircraft manufacturer said it invited more than 200 global airline pilots, technical leaders and regulators for an information session on Wednesday, as it hopes to return the 737 MAX to commercial service.
The meeting is a sign that Boeing’s planned software patch is nearing completion, though it will still need regulatory approval.
Over the weekend, Ethiopian Airlines executives had questioned whether Boeing had told pilots enough about “aggressive’’ software that pushes the plane’s nose down, a focus of investigation into the deadly crash in Ethiopia this month.
The crash had led to the global grounding of 737 MAX jets.
The informational session in Renton, Washington on Wednesday is part of a plan to reach all current and many future 737 MAX operators and their home regulators to discuss software and training updates to the jet, Boeing said in a statement.
Garuda Indonesia, which on Friday said it planned to cancel its order for 49 737 MAX jets citing a loss of passenger trust after the crashes, was invited to the briefing, Ari Askhara, CEO, PT Pelabuhan Indonesia 111, disclosed.
“We were informed on Friday, but because it is short notice we can’t send a pilot there,” Askhara said, adding that the airline had requested a webinar with Boeing but that idea had been rejected.
A Boeing spokeswoman said the Wednesday event was one of a series of in-person information sessions.
“We have been scheduling and will continue to arrange additional meetings to communicate with all current and many future MAX customers and operators,” she said.
Garuda has only one 737 MAX and had been reconsidering its order before the Ethiopian crash, as has fellow Indonesian carrier Lion Air, which experienced a deadly crash in October.
Daniel Putut, Lion Air managing director, said Boeing had informed the airline of the Wednesday meeting but it might not attend, and declined to provide further comment.
Singapore Airlines Limited said on Monday its offshoot SilkAir, which operates the 737 MAX, had received the invitation to the Wednesday event and would send representatives.
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore representatives will also attend, a spokeswoman for the regulator said.
Korean Air Lines Co Ltd, which before the grounding had been due to receive its first 737 MAX in April, said it planned to send pilots to Renton.
A spokesman said South Korean low-cost carrier Eastar Jet would send two pilots, but Ethiopian Airlines did not respond immediately to a request for comment about the meeting.
The 737 MAX is Boeing’s best-selling plane, with orders worth more than $500 billion at list prices.
Teams from the three US airlines that own 737 MAX jets participated in a session in Renton reviewing planned software upgrade on Saturday.
A US official briefed on the matter Saturday said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had not yet signed off on the software upgrade and training but the goal was to review them in coming weeks and approve them by April.
It remained unclear whether the software upgrade, called “design changes” by the FAA, will resolve concerns stemming from the ongoing investigation into the March 10 Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed all 157 on board.
Tewolde GebreMariam, group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines in a statement Monday, insisted that contrary to some media reports, its pilots who flew the new model and crew were trained on all appropriate simulators.
Ethiopian Airlines expressed believe in Boeing, adding that it had been partner with Boeing for many years now and more than two-thirds of its fleet were Boeing.
