Indonesia to Allow Boeing 737 Max to Fly Again and End a 2-Year Ban

TheIndonesia.id - The Indonesian government has announced that it will lift a ban on Boeing 737 Max from flying passengers after improvement was made to the aircraft system.

The Ministry of Transportation announced on Tuesday, December 28, that upon communication and coordination with related authorities from other countries, Indonesia will soon issue regulation that will allow Boeing 737 Max to fly again within its airspace, ending a two-year ban.

“We’ve been coordinating with authorities and airline operators from all around the globe, especially Asean. Up to now, several countries has re-allowed the operational of Boeing 737 Max. Following the recent development, the directorate general of civil aviation is currently preparing to issue letter of revocation on Boeing 737 Max aircraft ban,” director general of civil aviation Novie Riyanto said in a statement on Tuesday, December 28, as reported by Antara.

According to him, his office has conducted technical evaluation on design adjustments to flight control as well as evaluation on pilot workload through simulator at Boeing Flight Services in Singapore.

The evaluation was attended by representatives from the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Singapore, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), and Boeing. It was also virtually attended by Indonesia’s directorate general of civil aviation.

“During the evaluation process, we aligned our perception, especially on flight control design adjustment. Flight test was also carried out using Boeing 737 Max simulator,” Riyanto explained.

Furthermore, upon the plan to re-allow the aircraft to fly again, the directorate general has also been coordinating with flight operators to prepare both regulation and technical details.

Among some of the things necessary are the issuance and implementation of airworthiness certification based on FAA’s standard, preparation for training and simulation, and technical guidance on the aircraft that refers to Boeing’s rules.

Riyanto also revealed that Indonesia won’t adopt the CB Stick Shaker removal procedure which can eliminate interference to pilot and potentially increase pilot’s workload hence reducing safety.

Lastly, he reminded flight operators to follow all regulations in place while also calling for flight regulators to commit to its fulfillment.