Certification of Boeing 737 MAX delayed by software bug

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has decided to postpone certification of the Boeing 737 MAX 10 due to a software glitch that could potentially endanger pilots during landing procedures, according to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford. The issue arises from a software update that can cause an automated navigation feature to fail when planes change their approach to landing.

While pilots are trained to safely land without the automated system, regulators must assess whether the workload becomes excessive in such a situation, Bedford stated at a press conference.

Boeing's shares plummeted on Monday following a weekend report in The Wall Street Journal detailing the problem. The FAA has been collaborating closely with Boeing and airlines throughout the certification process, and will convene an advisory board if a safety concern is identified, according to an FAA spokesperson. Boeing's CEO, Alfred Kelly, had previously expressed optimism about receiving FAA certification for the 737 MAX 10 soon.

The problem emerges when pilots modify their preprogrammed flight plan after a missed approach, as revealed by Boeing. The company informed 737 operators about the software issue, reinforcing existing pilot procedures for handling such cases. Boeing engineers are currently developing a software update to permanently resolve the issue. The company expects the update to address the problem permanently, but until then, the certification of the 737 MAX 10 remains delayed.

Aircraft with the affected software have been grounded for 20 months following two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019. Recent statements from major MAX buyers confirm that they will not operate aircraft with the problematic software version. United Airlines and Southwest Airlines, in particular, have stated they do not operate planes with the new flight management computer software and are actively working with Boeing and the FAA to determine the next steps.