Malaysian civil aviation authority ungrounds Boeing 737 MAX

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) approved the Boeing 737 MAX for operations on September 2, 2021.

Malaysian and international operators of the Boeing 737 MAX can now conduct commercial operations within or out of the national airspace.

Malaysian operators will be eligible to operate the 737 MAX on the condition that they comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airworthiness Directive (AD) regarding Flight Standardization Board Report (FSBR) on pilot training and applicable directives. 

International operators will have to further ensure that the “pilot training program issued by the state of registry has the equivalent level of safety as the FAA AD and FAA FSBR,” as per the CAAM’s safety directive dated September 2, 2021.

"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)," stated CAAM in the released safety directive. "CAAM recognized the work of the FAA as the State of Design and accepted the comprehensive return-to-service requirements set by the FAA for the Boeing 737 MAX."

The Malaysian civil aviation regulator grounded the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on March 13, 2019, following two fatal accidents of Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 on October 29, 2018, and Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 on March 10, 2019.

Currently, 17 Asian states and 176 total international states have approved the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to operate within their airspaces.