Ethiopian Airlines moves to return Max 737 to service

Ethiopian Airlines says it would resume flying the Boeing 737 Max planes on its fleet in February 2022.

The Chief Executive Officer of Africa’s biggest carrier, Tewolde GebreMariam, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying it was satisfied with the safety of the Max.

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The resumption of the Max is coming more than two years after the airline’s flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max bound for Kenya, crashed six minutes after takeoff from Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers and crew.

Also, Indonesia’s Lion Air Max 737 aircraft had in October 2018 crashed and killed 189 occupants.

Immediately after the two incidents, the Max 737 aircraft were grounded globally as the accidents were linked to the aircraft’s Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS).

This has however been fixed by Boeing with the Federal Aviation Administration of the US certifying the Max aircraft again.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had also lifted the ban on aircraft.

But it is not clear if Nigeria’s airlines, Air Peace and Green Africa – that earlier ordered the aircraft – would continue with the order.

Ethiopian Airlines, which has five Max aircraft in its fleet including 25 on order, said it was convinced about the safety of the aircraft.

The CEO in a statement said, “Safety is our topmost priority at Ethiopian Airlines and it guides every decision we make and all actions we take.

“It is in line with this guiding principle that we are now returning the B737 MAX to service not only after the recertification by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), EASA of Europe, Transport Canada, CAAC, ECAA, and other regulatory bodies but also after the return to service by more than 34 airlines around the world.”

However, there are concerns about whether members of the flying public would embrace the aircraft when it returns to service, a challenge which GebreMariam equally acknowledges.

“Ethiopian Airlines has put in place rigorous and comprehensive processes to ensure that every plane in the sky is safe.

“In the next month, we will update the travelling public on further details and progress. We always prioritize customers’ safety and I am confident that our customers will enjoy onboard safety and comfort that we have been known for.”