Boeing reported a software glitch affecting certain landing procedures on its 737 Max aircraft, which it flagged last month. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently assessing the issue and will act if a safety concern is identified.
The glitch may occur after a missed approach when pilots change a preprogrammed flight path, requiring additional steps to use automated tools for subsequent approaches. Boeing has communicated with operators to reinforce existing pilot procedures and is developing a software update to resolve the issue permanently.
U.S. airlines, including Southwest and United, confirmed they do not have Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft equipped with the updated software related to the glitch. The FAA certified the Max 7 model with the newest software in August, but it remains unclear if it can be delivered or operated with an older version.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg expressed optimism about the imminent FAA certification of the Max 10. This software issue arises after a series of delays and safety concerns surrounding the Max aircraft, including two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that resulted in 346 fatalities. Currently, there are 2,430 Max aircraft in service worldwide, according to Cirium