737 Max Jets The Topic At Aviation Officials Meeting In North Texas
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The Boeing 737 Max jets are the topic that has brought aviation authorities from around the world to North Texas.
The idea is to get dozens of countries on the same page as they consider allowing the currently grounded aircrafts to fly again. The planes were ordered down in March after two deadly crashes that happened less than five months apart -- one in Indonesia, the other in Ethiopia.
CBS 11 News was there as foreign aviation authorities arrived ahead of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) meeting Thursday. Representatives from 33 countries are attending.
The FAA has said safety experts will also be on hand at the meeting, so regulators can ask questions as they decide whether or not the Max jets should resume flying in their countries.
The debate to return the planes to the sky is only happening because Boeing says it is wrapping up a simulator software update for the aircraft. The aerospace company has also updated training materials for pilots.
The Ethiopian Airlines crash that happened shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa killed 157 people. The Lion Air crash, that went down in Indonesia's Java Sea, killed 189 people.
Officials are expected to give a briefing on the meeting outcome Thursday afternoon.