Boeing 737 Max planes given approval to return to service in Singapore

Boeing 737 planes are now allowed to fly again in Singapore after the country's aviation regulator lifted the ban for its service. It was revealed on Monday, Sept. 6, that SG approved the return of the said Boeing plane model after more than two years of being grounded.

As per Reuters, Singapore is the latest nation to lift the restriction on Boeing 737 MAXs so operators including Singapore Airlines will now use them again after complying with airworthiness directives. Also, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) stated that the airline should follow the additional flight crew training requirements.

The flagship airline of Singapore said that it will continue to work closely with CAAS and regulators until it meets the requirements and be able to fly the Boeing 737 MAX units again. The air carrier further said that it will be releasing more details about the said plane’s operation soon.

It can be recalled that Singapore prohibited all the Boeing 737 MAX from being used in service and that was in March 2019. The order was the result of two consecutive crashes that claimed the lives of more than 300 people while aboard the plane model. Many other countries including the U.S., Europe, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, and more have also grounded this plane.

Investigations into the cases revealed a defective flight handling system that the aviation experts call the “Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System.” Investigators said that this was the main cause they found in both fatal crashes that happened in October 2018 and March 2019.

Prior to the lifting of the ban, The Straits Times reported CAAS said it thoroughly evaluated all the changes made in the design of the Boeing aircraft and came to a decision. The changes were also previously approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other related authorities.

A source added, "CAAS also reviewed the operational data of flights of the aircraft that had resumed service over the past nine months and observed that there have been no notable safety issues. It also issued a directive for operating the aircraft, in line with the lifting of restrictions.”