Aircraft manufacturer Boeing is hiring its own pilots and will send them to airlines to help ease the return to service of its 737 Max airplanes.
The pilots who will be hired by Boeing will be called "Global Engagement Pilots" and will serve as instructors or cockpit observers on 35-day assignments to airlines whose 737 Max airplanes will be returning to service.
Global Engagement Pilots
In a statement, Boeing said: "We continue to work closely with global regulators and customers to safely return the 737-8 and 737-9 to service worldwide."
This initiative is part of the company's wider program for supporting customers on all Boeing commercial aircraft.
According to Reuters, pilots who will be part of the program will receive an equivalent annual salary that could reach $200,000, which could potentially cost Boeing around $32 million in total.
Only pilots with 1,000 hours of instructor experience and "no incidents, accidents, losses or violations," and are licensed on the 737 and other Boeing jetliners, will be qualified to apply for the program.
The initiative also involves 24/7 surveillance of 737 Max flights globally and talking points for flight attendants to reassure passengers.
Return of the 737 Max
Last November, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted clearance to the Boeing 737 Max aircraft and lifted grounding orders.
The Boeing 737 Max planes, which have been grounded since March 2019 following two fatal crashes that killed 346 people, received clearance to fly but existing planes will need to be modified before going back into service.
The required modifications include design, software and wiring changes, as well as additional training for pilots.
According to the FAA, the design changes it had required "have eliminated what caused these particular accidents". FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said: "We’ve done everything humanly possible to make sure” these types of crashes do not happen again."
Boeing chief executive officer (CEO) Dave Calhoun mentioned that aside from the required improvements to the 737 Max, the aircraft maker had also strengthened its safety practices and culture since the crashes.
Last week, Brazilian airline GOL announced that it will be resuming passenger flights using the troubled Boeing 737 Max aircraft. GOL will become the first airline to resume Boeing 737 Max flights since its grounding.
According to GOL, the largest domestic airline in Brazil, the Boeing 737 plane will be used on routes to and from its hub in the city of Sao Paulo. However, the carrier did not specify which specific route will be used for the first flights.
The airline also noted that passengers will be notified if their flight will be flown on the 737 Max and will have the option to have their tickets exchanged for flights using other planes if they refuse to fly on the 737 Max.
First delivery
Boeing is also scheduled to deliver its first 737 Max plane after being grounded for almost two years due to fatal crashes. Sources say that Boeing will be delivering a 737 Max plane to United Airlines.
United plans to finance 100% of the cost of new aircraft for the foreseeable future and has arranged a financing of $1.6 billion for the purchase. Currently, United has 14 of the 737 Max in its fleet prior to the new delivery.
