Is the Boeing 737 MAX Safe to Fly?
2 min read
The short answer
Yes. The Boeing 737 MAX is one of the most thoroughly reviewed and tested airliners in aviation history. Regulators in the US, Europe, Canada and elsewhere each examined it independently — including their own test flights — before approving it. Today it carries passengers every day for airlines all over the world.
A Common Question at Booking
Many nervous flyers check which plane they're booked on, and some worry when they see "737 MAX". If that's you, here's the reassuring truth: few airliners have ever been examined as closely as this one.
Reviewed Like Few Planes Before
Between 2019 and 2020, the US aviation regulator, the FAA, carried out a review lasting 20 months. It covered the plane, its systems and how pilots are trained to fly it. The FAA made clear it would sign off every part of that review itself.
The review led to design changes, extra pilot training and new maintenance checks — all required before the plane carried passengers again.
Checked Independently Around the World
Other regulators didn't simply accept the FAA's decision. They did their own work:
- Europe's regulator, EASA, carried out its own assessment, independent of Boeing and the FAA. It flew its own test flights and ran its own simulator sessions before approving the plane.
- Canada, the UK, Brazil and others carried out their own reviews too.
It's rare for an airliner to be examined by so many experts, so independently, at the same time.
Flying Every Day Since
The MAX has been carrying passengers for airlines around the world ever since. By early 2022, it had already flown more than 349,000 commercial flights — and many more since. Like every airliner, it is watched closely for its whole working life.
The Same Strict Rules as Every Plane
The 737 MAX follows the same rules as every airliner:
- checked by engineers before flights and maintained on a strict schedule
- flown by two fully trained pilots who practise in the simulator regularly
- overseen by regulators who can require changes at any time
Read how planes are maintained and how a new plane is tested.
The Takeaway
The 737 MAX has been examined more closely than almost any plane in history, by regulators all over the world. If it's on your booking, you can board with confidence.
Sources
- FAA, Administrator Dickson testifies before the Senate on the Boeing 737 MAX (2020) — the FAA signs off every technical review: https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-administrator-dickson-testifies-senate-boeing-737-max
- FAA, 737 MAX return to service — preliminary summary: https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2021-08/737-MAX-RTS-Preliminary-Summary-v-1.pdf
- EASA (January 2021), EASA declares Boeing 737 MAX safe to return to service in Europe — an independent assessment with its own flight tests and simulator sessions: https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/press-releases/easa-declares-boeing-737-max-safe-return-service-europe
- eTurboNews (2022), Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX returns to the skies — more than 349,000 commercial flights by early 2022: https://eturbonews.com/ethiopian-airlines-boeing-737-max-returns-to-the-skies/
Keep reading
How a New Plane Is Tested Before It Carries Passengers
The years of testing behind every airliner — wings bent beyond their limits, extreme heat and cold, thousands of test-flight hours — before a single passenger boards.
How Planes Are Maintained
How planes are checked and maintained — from checks before every flight to a full rebuild every few years.
Headlines vs Reality: Why Plane Accidents Feel Common
Why news and social media make plane accidents seem frequent, what the numbers really show, and how every lesson makes flying safer still.