The Director-General of Civil Aviation is withdrawing an order that grounded all Boeing 737 MAX flying in Indonesia.
The Indonesian Government will grant official permission to fly on a plane-by-plane basis following a complete review for each long-grounded aircraft and verification that repairs have been made on the systems that precipitated the initial grounding.
The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Novie Riyanto, was quoted by the State News Agency Antara on Tuesday, 28 December 2021, saying: “We have already coordinated with aviation authorities and aircraft operators from around the world and especially in ASEAN. At this point, several countries have already authorized the operation of the Boeing 737 MAX. Following this development, the Director-General of Civil Aviation has also undertaken the necessary steps to issue a letter ending the grounding of the 737 MAX. “
Balipost.com reports that Novie Riyanto confirms that his directorate has already completed a technical evaluation of the flight control design and reviewed the projected workload of pilots at the control of the B737 MAX using Boeing’s Simulator Flight Services based in Singapore.
The simulation exercises were attended by the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) based in Singapore, the Singapore Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS), representatives of Boeing, and followed via a virtual link by the Indonesian Director of Civil Aviation, the FAA in Washington, D.C., and Boeing Corporation in Seattle. Novie said: “During the evaluation process, a shared perception was achieved as regards the redesign of flight controls. Test flights using the Boeing 737 MAX simulator were also performed.”
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Civil Aviation authorities are coordinating on both a regulatory and technical level with aviation operators to permit the recommencement of operations by Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Among the pre-recommencement of flight preparations underway are the issuance of airworthiness certificates in conformance with the guidelines of the FAA; training using Boeing 737 MAX simulators for both flight and engineering crew. “Several aviation operators (in Indonesia) have said that they have completed instructions on satisfying airworthiness for the Boeing 737 MAX, following the stipulations of the FAA. Training programs will also be introduced using the nearest simulator in Singapore,” explained Novie.
Novie further explained that the Indonesian aviation authorities had adopted the recommended step of removing the circuit breaking-C.B. Stick Shaker that can distract the pilots in an unsafe manner in certain flight situations.
The Indonesian Government is issuing a new airworthiness certificate by type for the Boeing 737 MAX to allow the aircraft to operate in Indonesian air space once again. This reauthorization will include specific instructions to airlines flying the Boeing 737 MAX to ensure maximum safety.
Speaking on behalf of the Indonesian Government, Novie issued thanks to Boeing Corporation and the FAA. They have assisted efforts to ensure the Boeing 737 MAX is ready for safe flight permitting the grounding order to be lifted.
In a related development, the Indonesian National Flag Carrier Garuda Indonesia has decided to postpone returning to service its single Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, saying the airline will focus instead on restructuring its fleet and its troubled business structure. Following the tragic loss of an Indonesian Lion Air and an Ethiopian Airline Boeing 737 Max, costing a combined 346 lives. Garuda was the first in a global flood of airlines to cancel orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, axing an order for 49 new planes worth an estimated US$6 billion.
At the time of the grounding, Indonesia’s Lion Air had made aviation history by ordering an unprecedented 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It is unclear if Lion Air will accept the delivery of these aircraft. Indonesia’s largest airline, Lion Air, operates eight Boeing 737 MAX 8.
In a related development, the Indonesian National Flag Carrier Garuda Indonesia has decided to postpone returning to service its single Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, saying the airline will focus instead on restructuring its fleet and its troubled business structure. Following the tragic loss of an Indonesian Lion Air and an Ethiopian Airline Boeing 737 MAXs, costing a combined 346 lives. Garuda was the first in a global flood of airlines to cancel orders for Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, axing an order for 49 new planes worth an estimated US$6 billion.
At the time of the grounding, Indonesia’s Lion Air had made aviation history by ordering an unprecedented 190 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. It is unclear if Lion Air will accept the delivery of these aircraft. Indonesia’s largest airline, Lion Air, operates eight Boeing 737 MAX.