flydubai Prepares for Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft to Rejoin Fleet
Following the announcement by the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) outlining the return to service criteria for the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, flydubai will start the process of preparing the aircraft for passenger service.
This follows an exhaustive 20-month review which has involved the manufacturer, regulators, engineers, scientists, researchers, mechanics and pilots whose sole objective has been to safely return the aircraft to service.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, commenting on the return to service, said: “The Boeing 737 MAX is an integral part of flydubai’s fleet and I have full confidence in the aircraft as it returns to passenger service. Safety is the founding principle of our business.
"We said that we would only return the aircraft to service when it was safe to do so and that time is now.
“The GCAA has played a key role alongside other regulators during the 20-month review of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. We would like to thank the GCAA for their diligent and exhaustive work."
The aircraft returns to service having undergone one of the most demanding safety reviews in history.
This has resulted in the successful return to service already observed by operators in the North, Central the South Americas and Europe.
The GCAA’s approval is detailed in a Safety Decision which sets out the specific requirements lie software enhancements and additional protections to the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), among others.
These changes and enhancements will be validated and form part of the regulator’s approval for the aircraft to enter service.
During the period that flydubai’s fleet of 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and three Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft have been grounded, they have been meticulously preserved and undergone continuous maintenance as part of an active aircraft storage programme.
Every flydubai pilot will undergo additional classroom and full motion simulator training before they are permitted to fly the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. This training programme exceeds the regulatory requirements.
The routes on the flydubai network where the aircraft will operate will be announced at a later date.
Read More: flydubai Cargo Approved for Transport of Dangerous Goods
