by Ma. Cristina Arayata/PNA
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) considers the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft airworthy, citing that the accidents involving this type of aircraft are still under investigation.
“(There are) no conclusive findings yet on the real reason for the accidents involving B737 Max 8. Nonetheless, we assume that the aircraft used by foreign carriers are certified airworthy,” CAB chief legal officer Wyrlou Samodio told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Wednesday.
He explained that CAB assumes the B737 Max 8 is airworthy because it has a certification that it can be used. This, however, can be disputed once the investigation is completed, he said.
Samodio added that for carriers utilizing the B737 Max 8, “prudence in the exercise of their prerogative to utilize such kind of aircraft is expected.”
The executive noted that since the accidents are still under investigation, CAB cannot really say that this aircraft model should not be used.
“If there would be a finding that it’s not safe to use, it (restriction) will be determined by CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) since it’s our safety regulator,” he emphasized.
Earlier, CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio told PNA that CAAP is not considering a ban on the B737 Max 8 to and from the country, unless requested by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Both Apolonio and Samodio said local carriers don’t have the B737 Max 8 yet since this is a relatively new model.
B737 Max 8 is among the variants of the Boeing 737 Max, an American narrow-body aircraft series. The first delivery of Max 8 was in 2017 to Malinda Air.
Apolonio earlier bared that there is one local carrier, which is waiting for the delivery of a B737 Max 8 that it has ordered. The spokesperson declined to name the airline and to say how many units of B737 Max 8 were ordered.
Several countries temporarily suspended Boeing 737 Max 8 flights due to safety concerns.
On Sunday, an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Nairobi crashed six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board.
In October 2018, a Lion Air flight using the same type of aircraft also crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people onboard. According to reports, the crash also happened minutes after the takeoff.
