Malaysia removes ban on Boeing 737 MAX following improvements to aircraft
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia has removed a ban on operating Boeing’s 737 MAX passenger jet that was in place for over 2 years, the CAAM said in a statement today. Previously, there had been a moratorium on using the aircraft since March 2019 following 2 fatal crashes. CAAM dropped the ban as it released a new safety directive usable for Malaysian and foreign air operators, today.
The regulator says they had been closely following the approval process and comprehensive work performed, notably from Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration. They add they have accepted the extensive return to service requirements established by the FAA for the aircraft. A week ago, India’s own air safety regulator cleared the aircraft to take to the skies, effective immediately.
Despite many airlines and lessors dropping their orders of the jet following the crashes, Malaysia Airlines held onto their order of 25 jets. In March of 2019, 157 people were killed when a 737 flying from Addis Ababa crashed. Prior to that, in October of 2018, a Lion Air Boeing 737 with 188 passengers on board crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta.
SOURCE: Reuters
