UAE GCAA establishes committee to return Boeing 737 MAX to service

UAE civil aviation regulator General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has revealed its plan to bring the grounded Boeing 737 MAX back to service.

As part of its preparation, the GCAA has set up a Return to Service Committee for the aircraft, reported state news agency WAM.

It includes specialists from the required areas and those working alongside the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

The GCAA was quoted by WAM as saying: “We will continue to work closely with FAA and EASA on the recertification process.

“The GCAA will issue a safety decision stipulating technical requirements to ensure a safe return to service of the MAX aircraft and we will also announce our certification timelines in due course.”

The news comes a few days after the aircraft manufacturer secured clearance to return the aircraft to service after completing changes in design, software and crew training.

In a statement, the FAA said: “The design and certification of this aircraft included an unprecedented level of collaborative and independent reviews by aviation authorities around the world.

“Those regulators have indicated that Boeing’s design changes, together with the changes to crew procedures and training enhancements, will give them the confidence to validate the aircraft as safe to fly in their respective countries and regions.

“Following the return to service, the FAA will continue to work closely with our foreign civil aviation partners to evaluate any potential additional enhancements for the aircraft.”

In March 2019, Boeing temporarily grounded the 737 MAX aircraft following two fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people.

Last week, the US House of Representatives voted on the bill to reform the FAA’s aircraft certification process, which came after the crashes.