Flydubai prepares for 737 MAX aircraft to rejoin its fleet

Flydubai on Thursday announced its plan to resume 737 MAX operations for passenger traffic following the lifting of a 23-month ban by the General Civil Aviation Authority.

In a statement, the Dubai-based airline said it will start the process of preparing its 14 grounded aircraft for passenger service.  This follows an exhaustive 20-month review that has involved the manufacturer, regulators, engineers, scientists, researchers, mechanics, and pilots whose sole objective has been to safely return the aircraft to service.

“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,” Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer of flydubai, said.

While commenting on the work of the regulator, he said the GCAA has played a key role alongside other regulators during the 20-month review of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

"The GCAA has outlined a clear and exacting framework of enhancements and modifications to the aircraft that must be met before returning the aircraft to passenger service along with additional and mandatory pilot training. Flydubai will comply with each and every one of the requirements before we allow the aircraft to rejoin our fleet,” Al Ghaith said.

The conclusion and subsequent actions of the review have culminated in the approval to return the aircraft to service by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and other regulators from around the world. 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.

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.  This included prescribed inspections and checks amounting to 18 hours per aircraft each week of maintenance performed to the highest international standards.

"A systematic approach to identifying actions that could be taken over and above the minimum mandatory requirements has been implemented to ensure that the aircraft will return to service in the best possible condition," the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

"Flydubai’s experienced and professional Engineering and Maintenance Team are currently implementing the return-to-service work schedule for the aircraft.  Aircraft will be returned sequentially to the fleet following a systematic prescribed process," the statement said.

Saj Ahmad, chief analyst at StrategicAero Research, said flydubai has already been keeping its 737 MAX fleet exceptionally well maintained on the ground since early 2019 and they’ll have little trouble putting them back into regular service.

"With the GCAA validating the changes to the 737 MAX family, flydubai can now start planning its updates to its fleet of 14 airplanes ahead of entry into service," Ahmad told Khaleej Times.

"Given that Brazil, USA, and Europe have all lifted the ban and various airlines in these regions have been flying a mix of 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9s, flydubai will take every diligent step to ensure all its pilots are fully trained, its mechanics and technicians fully prepared to support the fleet back into operational service, alongside the support from Boeing to ensure that each airplane is updated to GCAA/FAA standards prior to allowing fare-paying passengers on board," he said.

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.

"At this stage, it is too early to announce when flydubai’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft will enter service.  The routes on the flydubai network where the aircraft will operate will be announced at a later date," according to the airline statement.

"As one of the biggest 737 MAX customers, flydubai will benefit not only from the new suite of safety features and lower fuel bills thanks to the CFM LEAP-1B fuel-efficient engines, passengers will once again be able to lavish in the airline’s revamped cabin and products as the airline re-emerges to fly amidst the rollout of new vaccines that will eventually open up air travel to the masses as we have been accustomed to," Ahmad said.

— muzaffarrizvi@khaleejtimes.com