PUTRAJAYA, Sept 2 — The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has lifted the suspension of Boeing 737 MAX operations in Malaysia, CAAM chief executive officer Chester Voo said today.

He said CAAM had approved the operations of Boeing 737-8 and Boeing 737-9 or commercially known as Boeing 737 MAX in Malaysia following its suspension in March 2019 with the release of CAAM Safety Directive 01/2021 — Operations of Boeing 737-8/-9 (MAX) dated September 2 2021.

"The Safety Directive 01/2021 revokes the previous Safety Directive issued on March 13 2019 that prohibits the operations of B737 MAX 8 in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

CAAM had in March 2019 announced the suspension of the operations of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft flying into and out, as well as transiting in Malaysia until further notice.

Malaysia joined countries such as Singapore, China, Indonesia and Australia in suspending the operations of the Boeing 737 Max following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX plane en-route to Nairobi from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board on March 10, 2019.

Voo said the new directive applied to both Malaysian and foreign air operators intending to conduct commercial flights with the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, within or out of Malaysian airspace.

"All operators shall comply with the requirements as stated in CAAM Safety Directive 01/2021 before the first commercial flight performed by Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, within or out of Malaysian airspace,” he said.

Voo said CAAM had been closely monitoring the approval process and the extensive work undertaken by all parties involved particularly by Boeing company and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"CAAM recognised the work of the FAA as the State of Design and accepted the comprehensive return-to-service requirements set by the FAA for the Boeing 737 MAX,” he said.

Voo said CAAM gave reassurance that all aircraft operating in Malaysia complied with all regulatory, technical, and testing requirements.

"CAAM will continue to monitor the situation and ensure strict compliance with regulations and directives. Any violations will be dealt with seriously,” he said. — Bernama