Originally Posted by
switch_on_lofty
Haha "people familiar with the matter" don't have a great track record at predicting the date of the return to service so far. But I suppose they'll be correct once. Or not if it never returns to service.
Actually, this seems a good best case prediction.
We learned earlier that the TAB (technical advisory board) tasked with reviewing the issue was still working the problem as of Dec 10 and that there is a 30 day window between their report issuance and FAA decision.
With Christmas around the corner, one would expect the report sometime in early January,so February is the earliest plausible date for FAA approval. Of course, the other regulators may have additional requirements, leading to further delay.