FAA issues the first airworthiness permit after 737 MAX goes back to flight

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan, KUCINTA SETIA

Image : SilkAir's 737 MAX

According to Reuters, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on 1 December 2020 that it had issued the first airworthiness certificate for the Boeing 737 MAX produced since the grounding in March 2019.

FAA lifted the 20-month ban on 737 MAX on 18 November 2020, approved Boeing to resume delivery of the aircraft, and allowed the 737 MAX to resume operations in the United States, provided that the airline needs to complete the corresponding Software and hardware modifications and pilot training.

Since 2019, Boeing has produced about 450 737 MAX aircraft, and they are waiting for FAA approval before they can be delivered to airlines including SilkAir. Investment company Jefferies estimates that Boeing's backlog of aircraft is worth about $16 billion.

United Airlines and American Airlines will be the first two airlines to resume 737 MAX flights.