PETALING JAYA: The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has reinstated operations of the Boeing 737-8 and Boeing 737-9 (commercially known as Boeing 737 MAX) in Malaysia, lifting a suspension that was put in place on March 13, 2019.
The CAAM Safety Directive 01/2021 released today effectively revoked the directive issued in 2019 which prohibits operations of Boeing 737-8 aircraft into, within and out of Malaysian airspace following two fatal accidents of a Lion Air Boeing 737-8 on Oct 29, 2018 and an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737-8 on March 10, 2019.
The regulator elaborated that the new directive is applicable to both Malaysian and foreign air operators that intend to conduct commercial flights with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, within or out of Malaysian airspace.
“CAAM has been closely monitoring the approval process and the extensive work undertaken by all parties involved particularly from The Boeing Company and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” CAAM CEO Captain Chester Voo said in a statement today.
To date, 176 states have revoked their airspace prohibition on operations of Boeing 737 MAX, of which 17 are in Asia, CAAM noted.
“CAAM had recognised the work of the US regulator as the state of design and accepted the comprehensive return-to-service requirements set by the FAA for the Boeing 737 MAX.”
In relation to this, CAAM pointed out that all operators shall comply with the requirements as stated in its Safety Directive 01/2021 before the first commercial flight performed by Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, within or out of Malaysian airspace.
“CAAM would like to reassure that all aircraft operating into Malaysia comply with all regulatory, technical, and testing requirements. CAAM will continue to monitor the situation and ensure strict compliance with regulations and directives. Any violations will be dealt with seriously.”
Among Malaysian operators, Malaysia Airlines was supposed to take delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX in July last year. However, due to the suspension it had pushed back delivery to 2024.
