February 26 – According to Reuters, the Australian aviation regulator said on the 26th that it would lift the flight ban on the Boeing 737 MAX model for nearly two years, and Australia will become the first country in the Asia-Pacific region to allow the aircraft to fly again.
“We … have confidence in the safety of this model,” said Graym Crawford, Acting Director of the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, in a statement.
He said the regulator had accepted the requirements of the Federal Aviation Administration to design specifically for the 737 MAX model re-flying.
No airline in Australia uses the Boeing 737 MAX, but it was included on Fiji Airlines and Singapore Airlines flights to Australia before the ban.
Crawford said it was unclear when these airlines would resume flights to Australia, given the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on international air travel.
Virgin Australia ordered 25 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, but it was not expected to be delivered until mid-2023.
