Lawmakers to question FAA chief on 737 Max review

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) head Steve Dickson on Dec. 11 will testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on the FAA’s review of the Boeing 737 Max since two fatal crashes grounded it, according to Reuters.

The 10 a.m. hearing will be titled “The Boeing 737 MAX: Examining the Federal Aviation Administration’s Oversight of the Aircraft’s Certification,” according to committee chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)

{mosads}The scheduled testimony comes as Boeing has struggled to restore the model to circulation on schedule and lawmakers have accused the agency of delegating too much of the review process to the company.

Last week, the FAA said it is not delegating the review and that it will be the sole arbiter of whether new 737 Max planes are airworthy.

The agency told Boeing it “determined that the public interest and safety in air commerce require that the FAA retain authority to issue airworthiness certificates and export certificates of airworthiness for all 737 Max airplanes,” according to Reuters.

Dickson, himself a former airline pilot, has said he will personally fly the plane before he allows it to be ungrounded. In mid-November, he told FAA officials to “take whatever time is needed” for the review days after Boeing said it expected the agency to certify the plane and issue an airworthiness directive by mid-December.