American Airlines pilots have warned that Boeing Co’s draft training proposals for the troubled 737 MAX do not go far enough to address their concerns, according to written comments submitted to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and seen by Reuters.
The comments were made by the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents pilots at American Airlines Group Inc, the world’s largest airline and one of the biggest 737 MAX operators in the United States.
Their support is important because Boeing has said pilots’ confidence in the 737 MAX will play a critical role in convincing the public that the aircraft is safe to fly again.
Boeing’s fast-selling 737 MAX was grounded worldwide in March following a fatal Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 on board just five months after a similar crash on a Lion Air flight that killed all 189 passengers and crew.
Now it is readying for regulatory approval a final software update and training package to address an anti-stall system known as MCAS that played a role in both nose-down crashes.
A draft report by an FAA-appointed board of pilots, engineers and other experts concluded that pilots only need additional computer-based training to understand MCAS, rather than simulator time. The public has until April 30 to make comments.
Protesters are expected outside Boeing’s annual meeting in Chicago on Monday, where shareholders will also question the company over its safety record.
APA also called for recurring training on simulators that includes scenarios like those experienced by the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines pilots, in addition to computer training.
