Icelandair always has the safety of passengers and employees at the forefront.
After an extensive process with worldwide participation, the North American and European aviation authorities recertified the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Taking 20 months, the recertification process involved expert engineers, scientists, researchers, mechanics and pilots from various countries worldwide, including independent representatives from NASA and the US Air Force.
After the completion of the most thorough inspection process in aviation history, the result was certification from the major authorities, including:
Various improvements to the flight control system were made during the recertification process.
Boeing carried out more than 1350 test fights and, in addition, all MAX pilots and aircraft mechanics had additional training.
The system now compares input from two angle-of-attack sensors as opposed to one; the aircraft only responds if data from both sensors agree and only activates once per event. Furthermore, pilots will always have the ability to override the aircraft’s input.
You can read more about the specifications of the MAX, and other members of our fleet, in the Fleet section of our website.
Once the aircraft was recertified, we began preparations for its return to service. The following steps were taken before the MAX rejoined the Icelandair fleet in March 2021.
Maintenance
Pilot training
Testing
We are confident in the safety of the Boeing 737 MAX.
The detailed certification process solved the software issue. Icelandair followed every directive to make the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft ready for flight, and our experienced pilots underwent training in our world-class training facilities.
We are fully transparent with our customers and specify the aircraft type during the booking process. For existing bookings, this information is available in My Journey.