Boeing 737MAX regains airworthiness license in China! Experts say it doesn't mean an immediate resumption

The Boeing 737MAX is on the agenda for domestic resumption.

Nandu reporter learned from the website of the Airworthiness Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China that for the 737MAX model, the Civil Aviation Administration issued an airworthiness directive for correcting the unsafe state of MCAS on December 2, confirming that the relevant corrective measures of MCAS eliminated the unsafe state. Chen Jianguo, a senior civil aviation expert, said that the 737MAX's re-acquisition of airworthiness permits in China does not mean that it will resume flights immediately, and it will take some time for airlines to modify aircraft and train pilots.

Nandu previously reported that on October 29, 2018, a Boeing 737 MAX8 aircraft of Indonesian Lion Air crashed 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, killing 189 people on board. On March 10, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302, carrying 157 passengers, crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, carrying the same 737 MAX8, with eight passengers on board as Chinese. There are 97 737 MAX in 13 domestic airlines, and after the accident, China's Civil Aviation Administration decisively grounded the 737 MAX8, and this model was subsequently grounded worldwide.

After investigation by the accident investigation team, the 737MAX's new MCAS system (Maneuverability Enhancement System) was questioned. Investigators said erroneous sensor data triggered the MCAS system to cause the plane to dive. Boeing then said it would update the system.

At the end of 2020, the US regulatory authorities approved the resumption of the Boeing 737 MAX model, and the three major US airlines prepared to resume flights a month in advance. Flight attendance was poor at the beginning of the resumption.

Nandu reporter noted that the official Weibo information of Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport shows that on the morning of August 11 this year, a Boeing 737 MAX7 took off from Shanghai Pudong Airport for a trial flight and landed at Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport at 9:41 on the same day. On November 17, the pilot of China Southern Airlines confirmed to the Nandu reporter that after the test flight was approved in Zhoushan, he recently received a notice to let the pilots make relevant preparations in advance. On the same day, Boeing replied to Nandu reporters, "We continue to work closely with regulators around the world, including the Civil Aviation Administration of China, to support the safe resumption of flights of the 737MAX around the world." ”

Chen Jianguo, a senior civil aviation expert, told Nandu reporters that the fact that Boeing 737MAX regaining airworthiness permits in China does not mean that the 737MAX will resume flights immediately, and it will take some time for domestic airlines to modify aircraft and train pilots.

Written by: Nandu reporter Lin Zipei Huang Chibo