The second deadly crash of a Boeing 737 MAX 8 since October has forced a number of global airlines to ground the latest version of one of the world’s most popular passenger jets.
The Sunday tragedy, which occurred six minutes after a takeoff from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa en route to Nairobi, Kenya, claimed the lives of 157 people.
The crash came less than five months after another brand new 737 MAX 8, belonging to Indonesian airline Lion Air, fell into the Java Sea just 13 minutes after takeoff from Jakarta, killing all 189 on board.
On Monday, the Indonesian Transport Ministry called for the temporary grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes operated by the country’s air carriers.
The step comes shortly after the China’s Civil Aviation Administration ordered Chinese carriers to take the planes out of service.
At the same time, Ethiopian Airlines Group announced temporary ban on operating four 737 MAX planes left in its fleet after the crash, citing a “safety precaution.”
Cayman Airways, which also flies the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, said it was placing a temporary ban on using the jets in the light of the latest incident, while South Korea reportedly launched a special inspection of the aircraft.
On Monday, Mongolia’s Civil Aviation Authority followed suit. The regulator said it ordered the national air carrier MIAT to temporarily suspend its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft operations.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Royal Air Maroc, Abdelhamid Addou, said the company would suspend all commercial flights carried out on the jet.
Boeing’s 737 line was considered to be among the most reliable and has been the best-selling aircraft in the airline industry.
The US company reportedly secured orders for over 5,000 jets from the line worldwide since 2017. Primarily used for short and medium-haul flights, more than 300 Boeing 737-MAX planes are operated by nearly 30 carriers across the world.
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