Boeing 737-8 Max will not return to service until all safety concerns addressed: CAAS

The Boeing 737-8 Max will not be used for commercial operations in Singapore until the authorities are satisfied that all safety concerns about the aircraft have been addressed. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) on Thursday said it has given SilkAir - the regional arm of Singapore Airlines Group - a permit to fly the plane back to Singapore for retrofitting and upgrading. But this does not constitute approval for a return to service, it added. It issued the statement a day after the first of six SilkAir Boeing 737-8 Max planes returned from the Alice Springs plane storage facility in Australia. The planes had been grounded since March last year, following two fatal accidents involving the aircraft in less than five months. They were subsequently flown to the Alice Springs facility. CAAS deputy director general Tay Tiang Guan said the authority is currently reviewing the aircraft's airworthiness. "As part of this review, CAAS will consider the United States Federal Aviation Administration's requirements and will determine if there is a need to impose additional requirements before we lift the suspension on Boeing 737 Max operations."<br/>