SINGAPORE, 4 February 2022: Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737 MAX returned to the skies earlier this week after being grounded for almost three years
In March 2019, an Ethiopian Boeing 737 MAX (Flight 302) crashed just six minutes after it took off from Addis Ababa, killing 149 passengers and eight crew. It was the second deadly crash for the brand new plane model in just six months after a Lion Air B737 MAX crashed shortly after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia in October 2018 killing 189 passengers and crew.
Commenting on the return of the B737 MAX, Ethiopian Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said: “Safety is the topmost priority and it is in line with that guiding principle 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 fleet type’s return to service by 36 airlines around the world.
The airline’s board members, management executives, Boeing representatives joined the first flight from Addis Ababa on 1 February.
The airlines’ B737 MAX has undergone more than 20 months of rigorous recertification process that extended to pilots, engineers, aircraft technicians and cabin crew.
Ethiopian Airlines has four B737 MAX in its fleet and 25 on order, some of which it will take delivery of in 2022.
