US regulator approves next step in re-certifying Boeing 737 MAX

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told Boeing that it can start test flights of its troubled 737 MAX single-aisle airliner with FAA pilots aboard, American media have reported. These test flights would be an important step towards re-certifying the aircraft to carry passengers. The airliner was grounded in March 2019, as a result of two crashes which killed a total of 346 people. News network CNN reported that the FAA had sent a letter (by email, according to the New York Times) to the US Congress on Sunday, to inform the legislators of the latest developments. Reportedly, the agency said that it did not yet have a date for ending the grounding of the 737 MAX.