The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced on Monday that the Boeing 737 Max aircraft is permitted to return to service. The national carrier Oman Air’s fleet includes five Boeing 737 Max planes.  

The Boeing 737 Max was grounded in Oman and worldwide in March 2019 following the second of two accidents within just six months, which together claimed 346 lives. Pilots in both crashes — Lion Air flight 610 in Indonesia in October 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in Ethiopia in March 2019 — battled an automated flight-control system that was erroneously activated.  

The authority stated that it has issued Safety Circular No 3/2021 under which the CAA requires airlines wishing to operate the Boeing 737 Max to meet all airworthiness and training requirements.  

‘Achieving the highest levels of aviation safety is a top priority for the CAA as the sultanate was one of the first countries in the world to suspend this type of aircraft on March 12, 2019,’ it stated.  

The CAA also pointed out that the decision to allow operations of Boeing 737 Max aircraft came in coordination with the international civil aviation community and after ensuring that Boeing meets all the necessary measures and requirements for flight safety for the aircraft. 

The decision is also based on the success of tests and inspections conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States as a designing country for the aircraft and the approval of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and civil aviation authorities in a number of countries, the authority added.  

The CAA has confirmed that the aircrafts’ resumption of operations will not be authorised until they complete all necessary airworthiness modifications, pilots’ training and evaluation and audit by CAA.  

‘Operations by any foreign carrier of this type of aircraft to Omani airports will also be subject to airworthiness, licensing procedures and training certificates granted by the civil aviation authority of the aircraft registration state.’