The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has given its approval for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to return to the skies, media reports said. The CAAM made its decision following a review of the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Previously, CAAM banned the aircraft in the country in 2019 after two deadly crashes. It also issued a new safety directive, Safety Directive 01/2021, for both domestic and foreign operators of the aircraft.
It said, “CAAM has reviewed and validated all applicable FAA and manufacturer publications on the Boeing 737 MAX in relation to its return to service. Based on these and all other related factors, CAAM has conducted a safety risk assessment (SRA) for the return to service in Malaysia.”
In December 2020, the Boeing 737 Max aircraft finally returned to the skies after being grounded across the globe for more than 20 months. American Airlines flew the 737 Max aircraft from Dallas to Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The aircraft carried media personals as Boeing seeks to demonstrate to passengers that the redesigned jet is safe to travel. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft was grounded in March 2019 after two crashes killed a combined 346 people- a Lion Air flight and an Ethiopian Airlines flight – within five months of each other. Back then, the Chicago-headquartered company also reduced production of the 737 MAX from 52 to 42 per month.