Canada, On Wednesday, asked for pilots to be getting simulator training for new Boeing 737 MAX software instead of receiving training computer courses, a call that goes a step beyond U.S. proposals on the matter and opens door to disagreement over measures to end across the globe grounding of the jets in the wake of the two deadly crashes.
After an October crash of Lion Air in Indonesia and an Ethiopian crash in March resulted in killings of 346 people combined, pressure from the global regulators is increasing on Boeing Co to deliver a software update and new training proposals for the 737 MAX.
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau said that computer-based training of pilots would not go far enough to satisfy Canada.
Boeing has provided a computer-based training to the pilots prior to transitioning from older versions of its 737 to latest 737 MAX version.
From training point of view, simulators are not like pulling out and spending an hour on an iPad, but is the very best way to get the exact experience of what could possibly be happen in reality and to timely respond to it, Garneau said.
Garneau’s statement came following a draft report by a board, appointed by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, recommending additional training of pilots without having a requirement of training them on simulators.
Canada’s stance of calling for an obligatory training time has highlighted the challenges to be faced by FAA panel, which also includes foreign regulators on it, that has been looking for an acceptable-to-all global blueprint for sending the grounded 737 MAX back in the air.
Boeing reiterated to be working with the regulators and airline customers across the globe if they decided for training requirements in their home markets.
At the time of launching MAX aircraft, having no requirement of simulator training was part of the original appeal, which attracted the customers in more as it could save them about $1 million over a useful life of an aircraft, industry sources say.
