Boeing 737 MAX safety upgrades are 'positive progress' - NTSB

The U.S. air accident investigator said on Thursday that proposed safety upgrades in the Boeing Co 737 MAX jet were "positive progress" toward meeting cockpit and systems recommendations it made after faulting Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration last year for development flaws following fatal crashes. The comments from National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt were submitted during a 45-day public comment period for proposed 737 MAX design and operating changes laid out by the U.S. FAA last month. The 737 MAX was grounded worldwide 18-months ago after crashes killed 346 people in Ethiopia and Indonesia and raised questions about FAA certification of the aircraft.