The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the country’s aviation regulator, has not kicked off the recertification process for the Boeing 737 Max, citing major safety concerns which have yet to be fully addressed.
“From the current situation, the major safety concerns that were raised by the CAAC have not been fully met, and for this reason, relevant technological review has not entered the certified airworthiness phase,” said Dong Zhiyi, deputy head at CAAC, according to the Global Times.
The green light granted by a flurry of jurisdictions, which include the European Union, United States, and as of last week, Australia, has not dissuaded the world’s second largest economy from maintaining its 737 Max ban.
The Chinese regulator said it continues to work closely with Boeing and US counterparts to conduct a thorough review.
Together, Chinese airlines operate about a hundred B737 Max aircraft, including at least 24 alone sitting with the country’s largest carrier China Southern. The aircraft has been grounded for almost two years, following two crashes involving Ethiopian Airlines and Indonesia’s Lion Air.
Earlier, the CAAC announced that the B737 Max would only return to the skies once three criteria are met, including the certification of design changes, retraining of pilots, and crash finding recommendations are acted on, reported the Global Times.
Business Traveller has approached Boeing for comment.
