Malaysia lifts B737 MAX restrictions

The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has lifted a moratorium on B737 MAX flights imposed in the wake of the global grounding of the type back in March 2019.

The regulator said effective September 2, it has revoked a safety directive barring B737-8 and B737-9 operations in or through Malaysian airspace.

“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,” it said.

“Upon completion of the reviews, validations and engagements with various stakeholders, CAAM is, with immediate effect, revoking the Safety Directive issued on March 13, 2019 that prohibited operations of Boeing 737-8 into, within and out of Malaysian airspace, subject to the applicable operators complying to the actions below.”

All operators, including local and foreign, intending to use the type to serve the Malaysian market must first ensure that all applicable US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recommendations regarding pilot training and other hardware adjustments have been complied with.

At present, no Malaysian carriers have the B737 MAX in their fleets although Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur Int’l) has twenty-five B737 MAX 8s on order from Boeing (BOE, Chicago O’Hare) alongside Lion Air Group subsidiary Malindo Air (OD, Kuala Lumpur Int’l) with three MAX 8s due.