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Boeing to Brief Pilots, Regulators as it Eyes 737 MAX Return


United Airlines planes, including a Boeing 737 MAX 9 model, are pictured at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, March 18, 2019.
United Airlines planes, including a Boeing 737 MAX 9 model, are pictured at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, March 18, 2019.

U.S. airplane manufacturer Boeing says it plans to hold a briefing Wednesday for 200 pilots, technical leaders and regulators as it works toward returning its 737 MAX planes to service following two deadly crashes.

The company said in a statement it is working to have sessions with all operators of the 737 MAX and national aviation regulators.

"At the same time, we continue to work closely with our customers and regulators on software and training updates for the 737 MAX. Boeing is paying for the development of these updates," Boeing said.

Airlines and aviation oversight bodies around the world grounded the 737 MAX planes earlier this month after the crash an Ethiopian Airlines flight. Examinations of the plane's flight data recorders showed what Ethiopia's transport ministers called "clear similarities" to an October crash of the same model plane in Indonesia.

Boeing is working on a software update for its anti-stall system, which the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration wants to have in place by sometime next month.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that the FAA has given its tentative approval to the fixes.

The acting head of the FAA, Daniel Elwell, is among those scheduled to testify Wednesday at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on airline safety. The panel is also planning a future hearing that would include Boeing and pilots.

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