The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA) has given permission for airlines to operate Boeing 737 Max in Vietnam’s airspace since December 31, 2021, lifting a three-year ban on the aircraft model after two major accidents.

Boeing 737 Max. Source: VNA

The CAA’s decision was based on safety measures adopted by Boeing that are in line with findings from the investigation on two accidents associated with Boeing 737 Max; the assessments from aviation authorities around the world; the safety indicators of Boeing 737 Max after the recertification and the evaluation from the CAA’s Safety Assessment Council.

Boeing 737 Max aircraft was grounded worldwide after the crash of two planes operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines in the 2018-19 period that killed 346 people, in which the main issue was related to a stall-prevention system, known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmented System (MCAS).

A key change for the Boeing 737 Max aircraft to return to service is the improved MCAS, which will now rely on readings from two Angle of Attack (AoA) sensors that measure the angle at which the wing slices through the air, instead of just one from the two aircraft in the accidents.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowed Boeing 737 Max to return to commercial operation on December 28, 2020, while the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) made a similar move since December 2020, and the Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) from January 20, 2021.