UAE mulls return of Boeing 737 Max to its airspace, regulator says

UAE's decision depends on Boeing and US aviation regulator's certification tests

A Boeing 737-7 Max aircraft lands at north side of Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, US, after completing a flight testing to be re-certified on June 29, 2020. Reuters.

The UAE is considering the return of the Boeing 737 Max to its airspace after a 15-month grounding of the narrowbody jet, according to the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

The UAE's decision on whether to approve the return of the 737 Max to service is dependent on Boeing and the US aviation regulator's current certification activities, the GCAA said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The GCAA is closely working with the US Federal Aviation Administration, (FAA), Boeing and UAE operators on B737Max return to service since its grounding after two tragic accidents," Saif Al Suwaidi, the GCAA's director-general, said. "We are in regular discussions with the FAA and Boeing on all aspects of the certification including design, test flights and training for the flight crew."

The UAE is home to Flydubai, the second-biggest customer of the 737 Max jet that was grounded globally after two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia within a span of five months. The GCAA's comments come after Boeing and the FAA began a series of long-awaited flights to test the safety of the re-vamped jet on Monday.

The UAE aviation regulator remains in "close coordination" with other major regulators globally to share information and benefit from their experience, it said.

''The GCAA is committed to ensuring highest standards of safety in the UAE skies and will work towards return to service of B737Max until acceptable safety standards are achieved,'' Mr Al Suwaidi said.

The UAE aviation regulator previously said it will conduct its own safety assessment on the jet after Boeing and the FAA have completed their own checks and reviews.

Coordination among global regulators on the requirements and timeline of the jet's return to service would provide a boost to Boeing's best-selling jet, allowing the plane maker to return the 737 Max to service in major markets in a more aligned manner.

The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has repeatedly warned that a fragmented approach by regulators may lead to mistrust in the jet certification process.

A fleet of Boeing 737 Max aircraft stored in an area adjacent to Boeing Field, on June 27, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. Getty Images

Lawyer Frank Pitre of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP discusses details of a lawsuit filed on behalf of the family of Samya Stumo, who was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight on April 4, 2019, in Chicago, Illinois. Getty Images

Investigators examine engine parts from the ill-fated Lion Air flight JT 610 at a port in Jakarta on November 7, 2018, after they were recovered from the bottom of the Java sea. AFP

Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee investigator Nurcahyo Utomo, left, briefs journalists during a press conference on the final report of the Lion Air flight 610 crash, in Jakarta on October 25, 2019. AFP

Members of a rescue team carry the flight data recorder, part of the Lion Air flight JT 610's black box, after it was recovered from the Java Sea, at Jakarta port on November 1, 2018. AFP

Family members of those who died aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 hold photographs of their loved ones as Dennis Muilenburg, President and chief executive of the Boeing Company, and John Hamilton, Vice President and Chief Engineer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, testify before the Senate Commerce on October 29, 2019 in Washington DC. Getty Images

A relative of a victim of the Lion Air flight JT 610 is given assistance as she grieves during a visit to the site of the crash in the Java Sea on an Indonesian Navy vessel off the coast of Karawang in West Java on November 6, 2018. AFP

Relatives with family members on board the Lion Air flight JT 610 interact with airline staff and officials as they await information on their loved ones in Pangkal Pinang airport, in Bangka Belitung province on October 29, 2018. AFP

Getachew Tessema, right, father of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 captain Yared Getachew, unveils a plaque during a commemoration ceremony held by the Airline Pilots' Association of Ethiopia on the first anniversary of the Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crash in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2020. AFP

Nadia Milleron, the mother of Samya Stumo who was killed in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, reacts before an aviation subcommittee hearing on 'Status of the Boeing 737 Max: Stakeholder Perspectives', at the Capitol in Washington DC on June 19, 2019. AFP

Boeing 737 Max planes are stored on an employee car park near Boeing Field, on June 27, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. Getty Images

A pedestrian walks by the headquarters of the plane maker Boeing on January 29, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing said costs associated with grounding the 737 Max aircraft were expected to exceed $18 billion. Getty Images

The three-day certification test campaign for the 737 Max that started this week is a major milestone in its return to the skies, after long delays and a series of concerns flagged by engineers and regulators.

Boeing's worst crisis in its corporate history has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the travel industry to a grinding halt and dented aircraft demand.