The company’s CEO has threatened to ax the largest plane in the 737 family unless Congress extends a regulatory deadline
Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun has called the situation “a little bit of an all-or-nothing” as the scandal-ridden aerospace company faces a deadline to secure approval for the 737 MAX 10 jet from US authorities before new safety standards kick in next year.
Under the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act, all planes certified after December 31, 2022 will have to comply with new Federal Aviation Administration regulations regarding cockpit alert systems that warn pilots of malfunctions during flight. Amid heightened scrutiny of the 737 MAX family in recent years, Boeing has been struggling to get regulatory approval for the latest and largest modification of the plane before the deadline.
In an interview with Aviation Week magazine this week, Calhoun said he hopes the company won’t have to go as far as to cancel the project altogether, but acknowledged there was always a “risk.”