Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
EUROPEAN Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) has given Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft the green light to return to the skies in the United Kingdom and the European Union, after a 22-month grounding following two fatal crashes.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said on Wednesday it had lifted a ban on the 737 Max in UK airspace and that UK airlines would be allowed to fly it, shortly after the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) also issued its final approval.
However, the CAA stressed that pilot training requirements meant it would be some time before the plane takes to the air in the UK.
As part of painstaking steps to return the aircraft to service, a modified version of the US planemaker’s aeroplane has been given permission to fly again, although not until a package of checks and training is completed.
The regulatory approvals came on the same day that Boeing revealed a net loss of $11.9bn (£8.7bn) for 2020, the largest in its history, as the coronavirus pandemic and the 737 Max caused revenues to slump by 24%.
CAA’s chief executive Richard Moriarty, said: “Our thoughts remain with those affected by the tragic accidents of the Boeing 737 Max. This is not a decision we have taken lightly and we would not have allowed a return to service for UK operators, or lifted the ban on the aircraft operating in UK airspace, unless we were satisfied that the aircraft type is airworthy and can be operated safely.”
The CAA regained the responsibility for supervising British airspace after the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 December. The CAA said the 737 Max will be “subject to close oversight” once it returns.
The regulators said each 737 Max aircraft would be required to undergo software upgrades, reworking of its electrical system, maintenance checks, operations manual updates and crew training before re-entering service.
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As a result, in the EU each aircraft will have to undergo an updated airworthiness directive, which will be scheduled by the aircraft operators and overseen by the national aviation authority of each of the 27 EU member states, meaning it may also be some time before the 737 Max takes off again in Europe.
EASA and the CAA have followed in the footsteps of regulators in the US and Brazil in granting approval to the modified 737 Max. The decision to give approval was “a significant milestone on a long road”, said EASA’s executive director, Patrick Ky, adding that the regulator had not come under any pressure from Boeing or others to do so.
“This assessment was carried out in full independence of Boeing or the Federal Aviation Administration and without any economic or political pressure – we asked difficult questions until we got answers and pushed for solutions which satisfied our exacting safety requirements,” Ky said.
