Berlin, Dec 21 (IANS): The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has said "certain" Boeing 737 MAX planes, which were globally grounded after two fatal crashes involving the model that took place within months, was now safe to fly, the media reported.

The 737 MAX has been globally grounded since March 2019 after the crashes of the Lion Air Flight 610 (October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (March 2019) claimed a total of 346 lives.

Since the Ethiopian crash, the EASA has been carrying out a root-and-branch review of the 737 MAX's design, independently from a similar process undertaken by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said his organisation had "left no stone unturned" in its review of the aircraft and its analysis of design changes made by the manufacturer.

"We went further and reviewed all the flight controls, all the machinery of the aircraft", he explains.

The aim, according to Ky, was to look at anything which could cause a critical failure.

In order to return to service, existing planes will now have to be equipped with new computer software, as well as undergoing changes to their wiring and cockpit instrumentation.

"We will perform our own safety assessment, which is going to be much more comprehensive than it used to be", he told the BBC.