The Ministry of Transport (MoT) has announced its approval for Boeing B737Max airplanes to fly over Vietnam’s airspace.

Boeing B737Max. Photo: AFP/VNA

The MoT, however, requested the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAA) to follow and update information from its foreign peers in Russia, Australia and China regarding their decision over the aircraft model.

The CAA is also responsible for assessing the safety aspect of the Boeing B737 Max, a step that is required for later issuance of operational license for the aircraft to be imported to Vietnam.

The CAA previously proposed the MoT to allow B737 Max airplanes to enter or transit Vietnam’s airspace, citing Boeing’s efforts to address technical issues of the aircraft model and assessment from aviation authorities in the US, Canada, Europe and Brazil.

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing, countries around the world have all lifted their respective bans on Boeing 737 Max, excepting China, Russia, Australia and those in Southeast Asia.

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 the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmented System (MCAS).

In Vietnam, a number of local airlines have expressed interests in Boeing’s 737 Max model to reduce their dependence on Airbus’ A320 aircraft.