Toronto, November 18 Although the Federal Aviation Administration announced on November 18 that it approved the Boeing 737 MAX series to fly again, Canadian officials stated that they would continue to independently verify the aircraft. The “no-fly order” will not be lifted until all safety issues are resolved and personnel training is strengthened.
In its statement, Transport Canada stated that it has taken note of the Federal Aviation Administration’s airworthiness directive on Boeing 737 MAX models. However, the safety experts of the Canadian Department of Transportation will continue the independent verification process to decide whether to approve the proposed changes to the model.
Canadian officials stated that it is expected that the Canadian expert verification process will be over soon. However, there will be differences between the content approved by the United States and Canada’s requirements for its aviation operators, including some additional procedures for the cockpit and before takeoff, and related training matters.
The Canadian Ministry of Transport stated that it has carried out extensive cooperation with various parties in the verification process of the aircraft, including key certification agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration, the European Aviation Safety Agency, the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Administration, and the Boeing 737 MAX series. The three Canadian air operators and their pilot unions intend to solve all the necessary factors to achieve a safe go-around.
Canadian officials stated that the current commercial flight restrictions for the aircraft in Canadian airspace are still in effect. The grounding order for this aircraft type will not be cancelled until all safety issues are resolved and the requirements for enhanced flight procedures and training in Canada are fully satisfied.
In October 2018 and March 2019, two Boeing 737 MAX passenger planes in Indonesia and Ethiopia crashed successively, killing 346 people in total. After two air crashes, the aircraft was banned worldwide. When Canada officially announced the ban on flying the aircraft in mid-March 2019, the country’s three airlines owned more than 40 Boeing 737 MAX series passenger aircraft, including Air Canada, WestJet and Sun.
