MONTREAL (Reuters) – Canada said on Monday it will lift a near two-year flight ban on Boeing Co’s 737 MAX on Jan. 20, joining other countries like the United States that have brought the aircraft back following two fatal crashes involving the model.

Regulator Transport Canada also said in a release that it had issued an airworthiness directive to aircraft owners, aircraft maintenance engineers and foreign civil aviation authorities, along with an interim order that outlines requirements for airlines on additional crew training.

Separately, Air Canada said it would resume Boeing 737 MAX commercial operations on Feb. 1.

The airline said the aircraft would gradually return to its North American route network.

Canada said in December it expected to rescind its flight ban on the Boeing 737 MAX in January after approving design changes to the aircraft, which was grounded in March 2019 following two fatal crashes.

Reporting By Allison Lampert in Montreal and Noor Zainab Hussain in Bengaluru; Editing by Mark Heinrich.

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Source: Reuters