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The Federal Aviation Administration could convene a safety review panel as soon as Friday to examine a software problem affecting Boeing's 737 Max family, potentially leading to additional regulatory action, Bloomberg News reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The glitch can increase pilot workload during certain aborted landing procedures by shifting the autopilot to a less automated mode for pitch control. The FAA's Corrective Action Review Board is expected to determine whether the problem constitutes a flight-safety issue and whether measures such as an airworthiness directive are necessary. Boeing notified operators about the issue in August and is working on a software update, while GE Aerospace, which supplies the affected software, said it is assisting Boeing and the FAA with the review. The smaller Max 7 was certified in August with the same software, although Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Air Group have said their fleets don't use the faulty version; United also said it is not accepting new aircraft equipped with the affected software, while Southwest said its recent and upcoming Max 8 deliveries won't contain it. The FAA has said certification of the 737 Max 10 will remain on hold until the review is completed, adding another potential obstacle for a model already years behind schedule, and Boeing has more than 1,500 orders for the Max 10, making its entry into service important to the company's production plans and future cash generation.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he currently sees no safety concern from a software problem affecting some Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and that there is no need to ground the fleet. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday after an event in Washington, Duffy said authorities had learned that delays in responding to problems can have serious consequences, according to Reuters. Boeing said on Saturday that the software issue could prevent pilots on certain 737 MAX aircraft from accessing automated flight guidance during a particular landing scenario, and that it has notified operators and is working on a permanent software fix. The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it would delay certification of Boeing's long-awaited 737 MAX 10 until the issue is resolved, and the agency plans to convene a Corrective Action Review Board to examine the matter, possibly as early as next week. The FAA has said the affected software version can increase pilot workload during a go-around, when a landing is aborted and the aircraft climbs to attempt another landing.