Page 5 - AAA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 Online Magazine

COVER STORY

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the Skies

BOEING IS MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME
WITH GROWING NUMBERS OF B737 MAX
JETLINERS NOW BACK IN THE AIR

Atul Chandra

Nearly a year after the lifting of restrictions on B737
MAX jetliner operations by the U.S. Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), clearing the return of the sin-
gle-aisle jetliner to the skies, a growing number of airlines
are returning their aircraft to commercial service. Boeing
had delivered more than 130 B737 MAX aircraft as of
July and the type is now operational with more than 34
airlines including LOT Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska
Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, WestJet, American
Airlines and GOL. More than 200 previously grounded
MAX jetliners have also now returned to service. B737
MAX aircraft in operation have already accumulated well
in excess of 95,000 revenue flights totalling more than
218,000 flight hours.

Promising Signs
As of September, regulators who have lifted restrictions
on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations include the FAA,
the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, Transport
Canada Civil Aviation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of
Australia and the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand.
Civil aviation regulators in India, Singapore and Malaysia
have also lifted restrictions on flight operations with the
B737 MAX. been done and that the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft can
operate safely, before lifting restrictions on the aircraft
India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) operations into and out of Singapore,” said Han Kok Juan,
cleared B737 MAX flights within the country in late August. Director-General of CAAS.
Low Cost Carrier (LCC) SpiceJet is the only B737 MAX
operator in India and its fleet of 13 aircraft are expected Operational data of B737 MAX flights that had resumed
to now resume commercial flights on domestic routes in service over the past nine months had also been reviewed
October. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) by CASS, which observed that there had been no notable
and Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) lifted safety issues. Singapore air operators intending to oper-
their restrictions on B737 MAX operations in September. ate the type have been directed by CAAS to establish a
“Aviation safety is paramount. CAAS has taken extra care flight crew training programme approved by it, comprising
to assess, monitor and ensure that due diligence has of ground and flight training elements specified in the

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