Boeing to upgrade software in 737 MAX 8 fleet in 'weeks'

Boeing Co confirmed late on Monday it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "design changes" in the aircraft by April.

Boeing did not reference Sunday`s Ethiopian Airlines crash in connection to the software upgrade. The statement did express the company`s condolences to the relatives of the 157 people who died, however.

The company said in the aftermath of October`s Lion Air Flight crash it has for several months "been developing a flight control software enhancement for the 737 MAX, designed to make an already safe aircraft even safer."

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The software upgrade "will be deployed across the 737 MAX fleet in the coming weeks," it said.