WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Monday that it will overhaul the way it certifies new planes according to legislation passed by Congress after two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people.
Lawmakers passed extensive reforms to legislation enacted on Sunday by U.S. President Donald Trump, which increases FAA oversight over aircraft manufacturers, requires the disclosure of critical safety information and provides new protections for whistleblowers.
The FAA said in a statement that “it will work to implement the changes as directed by Congress. The FAA is committed to the continued advancement of aviation security and the improvement of our organization, processes and culture. “
Senator Roger Wicker, a Republican who chairs the Trade Committee, said in an opinion article on Monday that the law “will take steps to protect against manufacturers who unduly pressure employees during the certification process”.
Wicker added that the law “should help restore the culture of security at the FAA”.
An FAA survey released in August revealed that some security officials reported facing “strong” external pressure from the industry and warned that the agency does not always prioritize air safety.
The FAA suspended the 20-month stranding of the 737 MAX last month. MAX is due to resume commercial passenger flights in the United States on Tuesday, when American Airlines starts flying MAX with a flight from Miami to New York.
The legislation requires an independent review of Boeing’s safety culture.
Boeing, which faces an ongoing criminal investigation into MAX, did not comment on the new law.
The FAA is required to report to Congress on the implementation of the recommendations issued after the 737 MAX failures.
“You cannot legislate cultural change, but we are sure that we will try to increase security targets,” said Senator Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee, in an interview.
The law repeals rules that allow FAA employees to receive bonuses or other financial incentives based on compliance with manufacturer-oriented certification schedules or quotas.
“We are not going to pay FAA personnel to move planes faster,” said Cantwell. “It’s about getting security right.”
The law authorizes civil penalties against aviation manufacturers’ supervisors who interfere with employees acting on behalf of the FAA, authorizes new resources for the FAA to add key technical personnel, and requires it to review pilot training.
The United States has not had a fatal accident on a passenger airline since February 2009 and only one fatality due to an accident on an American airline at that time. The FAA credited the decline in fatalities in part “because the FAA established robust information-sharing programs across the aviation industry that encouraged openness.”
Reporting by David Shepardson; Stephen Coates edition