Boeing's accident-prone 737 Max model will most likely be back in service again in the first quarter of 2020, according to a statement from the European Union's aviation agency EASA Director General Patrick Ky, according to Reuters.

EASA expects to be able to give approval for the best-selling 737 Max in January and then support preparations for deployment via national aviation authorities and airlines for around two months, according to the Director General.

”"If there are any exercise requirements and any coordination that needs to be done with EU member states to make sure everyone does it at once, this will take some time. That's why I say first quarter 2020," said EASA chief Patrick Ky.

EASA has previously stated that it will not blindly approve the recertification process carried out by the FAA in Boeing's home country, the USA, which has required coordination between the authorities.

The certification process by which the Boeing model was approved by the US agency has been widely criticized. It has emerged that orders were given for rushed lead times and that inspections were carried out too hastily, which may have led to the autopilot system suspected of being behind the accidents being approved even though it was not safe. 

One of the reasons behind the rushed process was that competitor Airbus completed its counterpart, the A330 Neo, before the 737 Max.

Norwegian and Ryanair are some of the largest single customers of the aircraft model, which crashed twice in five months, killing 346 people. The model was grounded after the second accident and several airlines have warned of large costs for cancelled flights and replacement planes that had to be chartered.

Source: Nyhetsbyrån Direkt