Cayman Airways’ MAX 8s cleared to fly

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands has given Cayman Airways the green light to return its MAX 8 planes to the skies.

The authority, in a statement released Wednesday evening, said that, as of 27 Jan., it would “allow the Boeing 737 MAX to operate passenger flights, subject to close oversight”.

Along with the removal of the ban on the planes, the authority has lifted the restriction on the MAX 8s operating in Cayman Islands’ airspace.

The Civil Aviation Authority said it is now working with Cayman Airways, the only operator of that aircraft in Cayman, as it “safely returns the Boeing 737 MAX to service”.

The all-clear for the planes to return to service comes nearly two years after they were grounded in March 2019, amidst a global ban of the aircraft. The planes were grounded  following two crashes that killed 346 people.

“The decision follows the approval of extensive modifications to the design of the aircraft, to how it is flown, and to pilot training,” the authority’s statement noted. “This includes modifications to the aircraft’s Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), as well as other key safety changes aimed at preventing further accidents.”

An investigation into the crashes revealed issues with the aircraft’s MCAS system, which is designed to prevent a plane from stalling when a takeoff angle is too steep.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s decision to reinstate the planes comes more than a month after the US Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban on the aircraft.

The removal of the ban on flying MAX 8s in Cayman’s airspace means overseas operators of the aircraft can fly into and out of the Cayman Islands. Currently, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the only airlines allowed to enter Cayman are Cayman Airways and British Airways.

“All airlines, however, will need to go through the necessary steps to return the aircraft to service, including pilot training,” the Civil Aviation Authority pointed out.

Cayman Airways currently has two MAX 8s which are expected to re-enter service. A third MAX 8 plane has been built and is in storage at a Boeing facility in the US. A fourth plane is on order.

Main modifications to the MAX 8 aircraft include:

• Flight Control Computer (FCC) software changes, so that both of the aircraft’s Angle of Attack (AoA) sensor inputs are used by the aircraft systems (rather than previously one);
• Safeguards against MCAS activating unnecessarily, due to a failed or erroneous AoA sensor;
• Removal of the MCAS repeat command;
• Revised limits on the MCAS command authority;
• Revisions to flight crew procedures and training requirements;
• Implementation of an AoA ‘disagree’ alert indication that would appear on the pilots’ primary flight displays;
• Cross-FCC trim monitoring, to detect and shut down erroneous pitch trim commands.