China's state-run Global Times informed that Boeing 737 MAX may return&nbsp;after being grounded for over 32 months.

The daily informed that the aircraft manufacturers have been working on "technical requirements" to get the aircraft off the ground.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-spicejet-settles-with-boeing-max-aircraft-lessor-avolon-408476">Also Read:&nbsp;India's SpiceJet settles with Boeing MAX aircraft lessor Avolon</a>

The newspaper informed that 737 MAX officials have been looking at "design changes" in the flight control system software and display system software.

Boeing officials this week had announced that they had reached an agreement to compensate the families of those killed in the crash in Ethiopia.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/boeing-postpones-starliner-launch-to-international-space-station-after-new-glitch-402729">Also Read:&nbsp;Boeing postpones Starliner launch to International Space Station after new glitch</a>

The crash had occurred in Nairobi in 2019 after the aircraft took off from Addis Ababa killing 157 people onboard.

Several planes have remained grounded for months before they were allowed to fly in some countries. The company also agreed to settle $2.5 billion worth lawsuits as it admitted its employees misled the US aviation regulator.

A US court earlier charged a former pilot Mark Forkner with misleading regulators during certification. US regulators had told Congress that Boeing still has work to do even as the company said it is"committed to full transparency and cooperation".

(With inputs from Agencies)

China's state-run Global Times informed that Boeing 737 MAX may return after being grounded for over 32 months. The daily informed that the aircraft manufacturers have been working on "technical requirements" to get the aircraft off the ground.

China's state-run Global Times informed that Boeing 737 MAX may return after being grounded for over 32 months. The daily informed that the aircraft manufacturers have been working on "technical requirements" to get the aircraft off the ground. Also Read: India's SpiceJet settles with Boeing MAX aircraft lessor Avolon The newspaper informed that 737 MAX officials have been looking at "design changes" in the flight control system software and display system software. Boeing officials this week had announced that they had reached an agreement to compensate the families of those killed in the crash in Ethiopia. Also Read: Boeing postpones Starliner launch to International Space Station after new glitch The crash had occurred in Nairobi in 2019 after the aircraft took off from Addis Ababa killing 157 people onboard. Several planes have remained grounded for months before they were allowed to fly in some countries. The company also agreed to settle $2.5 billion worth lawsuits as it admitted its employees misled the US aviation regulator. A US court earlier charged a former pilot Mark Forkner with misleading regulators during certification. US regulators had told Congress that Boeing still has work to do even as the company said it is"committed to full transparency and cooperation". (With inputs from Agencies)

Boeing 737 MAX carrying out changes in China to return: Report

Boeing Co has temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX involved in two fatal crashes, reports said.

Boeing Co has temporarily halted production of its grounded 737 Max for the first time in more than 20 years. Boeing made the announcement as the planemaker's best-selling MAX involved in two fatal crashes, reports said. Boeing, which builds the 737 south of Seattle, said it will not lay off any employees during the production freeze, though the move could have repercussions across its global supply chain and the US economy. Watch: Boeing halts 737 max production after 20 years × The decision, made by Boeing's board after a two-day meeting in Chicago, follows news last week that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) would not approve the plane's return to service before 2020, the report added. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months, costing the plane manufacturer more than $9 billion so far. Until now Boeing has continued to produce 737 MAX jets at a rate of 42 per month and purchase parts from suppliers at a rate of up to 52 units per month, even though deliveries are frozen until regulators approve the aircraft to fly commercially again. Boeing's shares closed down 4% on Monday and fell 1% after hours.

Boeing suspends production of 737 Max model after two crashes

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits.

Boeing Co&nbsp;reported a 53 per cent&nbsp;drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday and had a negative free cash flow of $2.89 billion in the quarter, compared with a positive free cash flow of $4.10 billion a year earlier.

Core operating earnings fell to $895 million or $1.45 per share, from $1.89 billion or $3.58 per share, a year earlier.

Boeing shares were slightly higher in premarket trading at $340.10.

The profit slump and trio of industrial setbacks capped a tumultuous week for the world's largest planemaker, already in the eighth month of a deepening crisis over the grounding of its best-selling single-aisle following <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-crash-pilot-reported-difficulties-had-asked-to-return-202389">deadly crashes.</a>

On Tuesday, the company ousted the top executive of its crucial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, in an unexpected management shakeup related to the MAX crisis that senior industry sources say puts Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg squarely in the firing line in the event of further revelations or if the company fails to recover from the MAX crisis.

Muilenburg's title of board chairman was stripped earlier this month.

Despite fresh setbacks, Boeing said it was sticking to its expectation that the MAX would return to service in the fourth quarter, though the timeline was at the mercy of regulators conducting certification reviews.

Boeing said there was "no significant change" to estimated potential concessions and other considerations to airline customers related to the 737 MAX grounding, part of the $8 billion price tag Boeing estimated for the MAX earlier this year.

"Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 MAX, and we're making steady progress," Muilenburg said in a statement accompanying the results. Boeing has begun taking steps to increase safety oversight in its industrial operations and at the board level, he added.

Boeing plans to cut 787 production, delayed a planned rise in 737 production and the entry into service of the 777X twin-aisle,&nbsp;a trio of industrial setbacks broadening pressure on the company's new commercial leadership.

Boeing named veteran executive Stan Deal, who had been running its two-year-old Global Services Division, to the top job at commercial airplanes. Deal's challenge to get the MAX back into service globally while simultaneously handling new aircraft deliveries and boosting 737 production is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history.

Boeing said it was delaying plans to step up production on its 737 line in the Seattle-area through 2019, and would not hit a record-level 57 aircraft monthly until late 2020, months later than previously planned.

Citing global trade tensions, it was also reducing the 787 production rate to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020.

Its forthcoming 777X twin-aisle, facing engine issues at General Electric, was progressing through pre-flight testing and remains on track for first flight in early 2020, but the company was now targeting early 2021 for the first delivery of the 777X.

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits.

Boeing Co cut production of its flagship Dreamliner and delayed the arrival of a successor to its 777 mini-jumbo, piling new pressures on a rejigged senior management team as the continued safety grounding of its 737 MAX sliced third-quarter profits. Boeing Co reported a 53 per cent drop in quarterly profit on Wednesday and had a negative free cash flow of $2.89 billion in the quarter, compared with a positive free cash flow of $4.10 billion a year earlier. Core operating earnings fell to $895 million or $1.45 per share, from $1.89 billion or $3.58 per share, a year earlier. Boeing shares were slightly higher in premarket trading at $340.10. The profit slump and trio of industrial setbacks capped a tumultuous week for the world's largest planemaker, already in the eighth month of a deepening crisis over the grounding of its best-selling single-aisle following deadly crashes. On Tuesday, the company ousted the top executive of its crucial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, in an unexpected management shakeup related to the MAX crisis that senior industry sources say puts Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg squarely in the firing line in the event of further revelations or if the company fails to recover from the MAX crisis. Muilenburg's title of board chairman was stripped earlier this month. Despite fresh setbacks, Boeing said it was sticking to its expectation that the MAX would return to service in the fourth quarter, though the timeline was at the mercy of regulators conducting certification reviews. Boeing said there was "no significant change" to estimated potential concessions and other considerations to airline customers related to the 737 MAX grounding, part of the $8 billion price tag Boeing estimated for the MAX earlier this year. "Our top priority remains the safe return to service of the 737 MAX, and we're making steady progress," Muilenburg said in a statement accompanying the results. Boeing has begun taking steps to increase safety oversight in its industrial operations and at the board level, he added. Boeing plans to cut 787 production, delayed a planned rise in 737 production and the entry into service of the 777X twin-aisle, a trio of industrial setbacks broadening pressure on the company's new commercial leadership. Boeing named veteran executive Stan Deal, who had been running its two-year-old Global Services Division, to the top job at commercial airplanes. Deal's challenge to get the MAX back into service globally while simultaneously handling new aircraft deliveries and boosting 737 production is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history. Boeing said it was delaying plans to step up production on its 737 line in the Seattle-area through 2019, and would not hit a record-level 57 aircraft monthly until late 2020, months later than previously planned. Citing global trade tensions, it was also reducing the 787 production rate to 12 airplanes per month for approximately two years beginning in late 2020. Its forthcoming 777X twin-aisle, facing engine issues at General Electric, was progressing through pre-flight testing and remains on track for first flight in early 2020, but the company was now targeting early 2021 for the first delivery of the 777X.

Boeing profit slumps 53% as MAX grounding takes heavy toll

Boeing&nbsp;on Tuesday ousted the top executive of its commercial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, marking the first high-level departure since two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jets.

The company named veteran Boeing executive Stan Deal to succeed McAllister effective immediately as president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). The deal had led Boeing's recently formed Global Services division.

The world's largest planemaker faces a growing crisis over the eight-month safety ban on its best-selling single-aisle jet prompted by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-crash-pilot-reported-difficulties-had-asked-to-return-202389">crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia</a> that killed 346 people.

Tuesday's announcement, a day before Boeing was due to report quarterly results, shocked some Boeing employees, with one insider calling McAllister a "scapegoat" and noting he came to the helm of BCA late in the 737 MAX development.

It ends a relatively unusual experiment at Boeing of handing an outsider a prominent position, and places the crucial commercial airplanes division in the hands of a long-serving Boeing insider who has relationships with important customers such as Singapore Airlines.

McAllister, a regular figure at industry conclaves, had championed an analytical, data-based approach forged in his previous position selling services for General Electric.

He was credited in part with boosting Boeing sales as part of a roving double act with sales chief Ihssane Mounir with whom he regularly toured the world clinching deals at the expense of European rival Airbus.

That sales momentum slumped to a record nine-month low after the MAX was grounded in March.

McAllister also struggled to claw back a series of industrial delays or production quality problems including delays to a military tanker and the new 777X, analysts said.

McAllister could not be reached for comment.

One person familiar with the matter said McAllister's departure had been described to staff as a "separation," a clear indication that he had been fired.

Another person said Boeing had asked McAllister to leave, giving no explanation other than saying it was the right move at the right time for the company's leadership. He added that the decision was not purely related to the MAX.

Deal joined Boeing in 1986 and in 2017 was tapped to lead the company's new Boeing Global Services unit, which sells analytics, parts and training services for airline customers.

Deal's major challenge is to get the MAX back into service while simultaneously handling deliveries of new aircraft and boosting production of the money-making single-aisle jets. That is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history. He must also get the larger, twin-aisled 777X back on track.

Beyond that, Deal will have to make decisions about a potential new mid-market jetliner code named NMA, which has been eclipsed by the MAX crisis and whose prospects now look unclear.

The management change was announced after Boeing's board met in San Antonio.

Earlier on Tuesday, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said Boeing was making progress towards winning approval to resume flights, but would need "several weeks" before a key certification test flight can take place.

Next week, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, who was stripped of his title as chairman by the board this month, will testify before Congress for two days.

"We're committed to delivering on our commitments and regaining trust with our regulators, customers and other stakeholders," Muilenburg said.

A deliberate decision was made soon after the MAX crashes to make Muilenburg the public face of the company during the crisis, sources said, although he has faced criticism for what some in the industry have characterized as a wooden and lawyer-driven response to concerns raised from the crashes.

Senior industry officials said McAllister's departure leaves Muilenburg, recently stripped of his chairman title,&nbsp;squarely in the firing line in the event of further unexpected revelations or if the company fails to recover from the crisis.

"It removes one of the sandbags around him," said Nick Cunningham, aerospace analyst at UK-based Agency Partners.

New Chairman David Calhoun said the board backed the decisions. "Boeing will emerge stronger than ever from its current challenges and the changes we're making throughout Boeing will benefit the flying public well into the future," he said in a statement.

Boeing on Tuesday ousted the top executive of its commercial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, marking the first high-level departure since two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jets.

Boeing on Tuesday ousted the top executive of its commercial airplanes division, Kevin McAllister, marking the first high-level departure since two fatal crashes of its 737 MAX jets. The company named veteran Boeing executive Stan Deal to succeed McAllister effective immediately as president and chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA). The deal had led Boeing's recently formed Global Services division. The world's largest planemaker faces a growing crisis over the eight-month safety ban on its best-selling single-aisle jet prompted by crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people. Tuesday's announcement, a day before Boeing was due to report quarterly results, shocked some Boeing employees, with one insider calling McAllister a "scapegoat" and noting he came to the helm of BCA late in the 737 MAX development. It ends a relatively unusual experiment at Boeing of handing an outsider a prominent position, and places the crucial commercial airplanes division in the hands of a long-serving Boeing insider who has relationships with important customers such as Singapore Airlines. McAllister, a regular figure at industry conclaves, had championed an analytical, data-based approach forged in his previous position selling services for General Electric. He was credited in part with boosting Boeing sales as part of a roving double act with sales chief Ihssane Mounir with whom he regularly toured the world clinching deals at the expense of European rival Airbus. That sales momentum slumped to a record nine-month low after the MAX was grounded in March. McAllister also struggled to claw back a series of industrial delays or production quality problems including delays to a military tanker and the new 777X, analysts said. McAllister could not be reached for comment. One person familiar with the matter said McAllister's departure had been described to staff as a "separation," a clear indication that he had been fired. Another person said Boeing had asked McAllister to leave, giving no explanation other than saying it was the right move at the right time for the company's leadership. He added that the decision was not purely related to the MAX. Deal joined Boeing in 1986 and in 2017 was tapped to lead the company's new Boeing Global Services unit, which sells analytics, parts and training services for airline customers. Deal's major challenge is to get the MAX back into service while simultaneously handling deliveries of new aircraft and boosting production of the money-making single-aisle jets. That is seen as one of the most formidable logistical challenges in the industry's history. He must also get the larger, twin-aisled 777X back on track. Beyond that, Deal will have to make decisions about a potential new mid-market jetliner code named NMA, which has been eclipsed by the MAX crisis and whose prospects now look unclear. The management change was announced after Boeing's board met in San Antonio. Earlier on Tuesday, Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Steve Dickson said Boeing was making progress towards winning approval to resume flights, but would need "several weeks" before a key certification test flight can take place. Next week, Boeing Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg, who was stripped of his title as chairman by the board this month, will testify before Congress for two days. "We're committed to delivering on our commitments and regaining trust with our regulators, customers and other stakeholders," Muilenburg said. A deliberate decision was made soon after the MAX crashes to make Muilenburg the public face of the company during the crisis, sources said, although he has faced criticism for what some in the industry have characterized as a wooden and lawyer-driven response to concerns raised from the crashes. Senior industry officials said McAllister's departure leaves Muilenburg, recently stripped of his chairman title, squarely in the firing line in the event of further unexpected revelations or if the company fails to recover from the crisis. "It removes one of the sandbags around him," said Nick Cunningham, aerospace analyst at UK-based Agency Partners. New Chairman David Calhoun said the board backed the decisions. "Boeing will emerge stronger than ever from its current challenges and the changes we're making throughout Boeing will benefit the flying public well into the future," he said in a statement.

Boeing ousts top executive over 737 MAX crisis

Boeing announced on Sunday that some of its medium-haul 737s, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-ceo-apologises-says-crisis-has-shaken-public-confidence-in-company-222655">including the 737 MAX 8</a>, could have a defective wing part, but that there had been no reports of flight issues linked to the defect.

The American aviation giant, which has been rocked by an unprecedented crisis<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-woman-sues-boeing-seeking-at-least-276-million-over-ethiopian-crash-220460"> after its entire 737 MAX 8 fleet </a>was grounded in mid-March, said a subcontractor informed it of problems with a batch of a part involved in deploying the wings' leading edge.

The leading edge of an aircraft is key to takeoff and landing because it is meant to improve the wing's drag and therefore the jet's aerodynamics.

Boeing said in a statement that it had relayed the defective lot number to aircraft owners so they can inspect the parts in question.

If operators find the defective parts on their aircraft, they should replace them before putting the plane back in service, the company said.

"This is a device considered critical because if the leading edge slats don't deploy symmetrically, there could be a lift differential that can be dangerous especially on takeoff and landing," one aeronautics expert told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The planes were grounded after a combined 346 people died in two deadly crashes, the first in Indonesia in October followed by one in Ethiopia in March.

Long considered a "gold standard" internationally, the US Federal Aviation Administration's reputation has suffered amid scrutiny of its oversight process and reports it allowed Boeing to effectively self-certify some features of the MAX.

Boeing is working on a software fix that will allow the MAX 8 to begin flying again, but differences have arisen between the United States and Canada on how to train pilots on the software after the update.

Washington believes training on computers or tablets is sufficient for seasoned pilots, but Ottawa wants to require training on flight simulators.

Boeing announced on Sunday that some of its medium-haul 737s, including the 737 MAX 8, could have a defective wing part, but that there had been no reports of flight issues linked to the defect.

Boeing announced on Sunday that some of its medium-haul 737s, including the 737 MAX 8, could have a defective wing part, but that there had been no reports of flight issues linked to the defect. The American aviation giant, which has been rocked by an unprecedented crisis after its entire 737 MAX 8 fleet was grounded in mid-March, said a subcontractor informed it of problems with a batch of a part involved in deploying the wings' leading edge. The leading edge of an aircraft is key to takeoff and landing because it is meant to improve the wing's drag and therefore the jet's aerodynamics. Boeing said in a statement that it had relayed the defective lot number to aircraft owners so they can inspect the parts in question. If operators find the defective parts on their aircraft, they should replace them before putting the plane back in service, the company said. "This is a device considered critical because if the leading edge slats don't deploy symmetrically, there could be a lift differential that can be dangerous especially on takeoff and landing," one aeronautics expert told AFP on condition of anonymity. The planes were grounded after a combined 346 people died in two deadly crashes, the first in Indonesia in October followed by one in Ethiopia in March. Long considered a "gold standard" internationally, the US Federal Aviation Administration's reputation has suffered amid scrutiny of its oversight process and reports it allowed Boeing to effectively self-certify some features of the MAX. Boeing is working on a software fix that will allow the MAX 8 to begin flying again, but differences have arisen between the United States and Canada on how to train pilots on the software after the update. Washington believes training on computers or tablets is sufficient for seasoned pilots, but Ottawa wants to require training on flight simulators.

Medium haul 737 aircraft, including 737 MAX 8, could have defective wing part: Boeing

Budget airline SpiceJet Ltd said on Friday it planned to lease a "first lot" of 16 Boeing Co 737-800s to help fill a gap in aviation capacity that ratings agency ICRA said has pushed up fares by 30 to 40 per cent since September.

SpiceJet had cancelled some flights due to the grounding of its 12 737 MAX planes after Ethiopian Airlines' deadly March 10 crash. However, the bulk of the reduction, which ICRA said removed 15 per cent of market capacity, is due to Jet Airways Ltd grounding more than three-quarters of its fleet as a result of funding problems.

"The sudden reduction of aviation capacity has created a challenging environment in the sector," SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh said in a statement. "SpiceJet is committed to working closely with the government authorities to augment capacity and minimise passenger inconvenience."

India's civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the civil aviation secretary to review issues related to Jet Airways and take steps to minimise the inconvenience to passengers and ensure their safety, the minister said in a Tweet on Friday.

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCCA) has de-registered 11 737-800s that had been leased by Jet Airways on request from lessors, the agency's website said, and another 14 requests for de-registration remain pending.

SpiceJet did not say whether it planned to lease planes that had previously been flown by Jet. The budget carrier's shares rose 5 per cent in early trade on Friday.

Budget airline SpiceJet Ltd said on Friday it planned to lease a "first lot" of 16 Boeing Co 737-800s to help fill a gap in aviation capacity that ratings agency ICRA said has pushed up fares by 30 to 40 per cent since September.

Budget airline SpiceJet Ltd said on Friday it planned to lease a "first lot" of 16 Boeing Co 737-800s to help fill a gap in aviation capacity that ratings agency ICRA said has pushed up fares by 30 to 40 per cent since September. SpiceJet had cancelled some flights due to the grounding of its 12 737 MAX planes after Ethiopian Airlines' deadly March 10 crash. However, the bulk of the reduction, which ICRA said removed 15 per cent of market capacity, is due to Jet Airways Ltd grounding more than three-quarters of its fleet as a result of funding problems. "The sudden reduction of aviation capacity has created a challenging environment in the sector," SpiceJet Chairman Ajay Singh said in a statement. "SpiceJet is committed to working closely with the government authorities to augment capacity and minimise passenger inconvenience." India's civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has directed the civil aviation secretary to review issues related to Jet Airways and take steps to minimise the inconvenience to passengers and ensure their safety, the minister said in a Tweet on Friday. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCCA) has de-registered 11 737-800s that had been leased by Jet Airways on request from lessors, the agency's website said, and another 14 requests for de-registration remain pending. SpiceJet did not say whether it planned to lease planes that had previously been flown by Jet. The budget carrier's shares rose 5 per cent in early trade on Friday.

SpiceJet to lease 16 Boeing 737s to fill gap as groundings push up fares

Boeing on Thursday said it would take "any and all" necessary safety measures to ensure the airworthiness of its jets following last month's deadly crash in Ethiopia.

The statement came hours after Ethiopian investigators said the pilots of a doomed Boeing 737 MAX 8 had repeatedly followed Boeing's recommended procedures prior to crashing on March 10.

"We will carefully review the... preliminary report and will take any and all additional steps necessary to enhance the safety of our aircraft," Kevin McAllister, head of Boeing's commercial aircraft division, said in a statement.

The Ethiopian investigators' preliminary findings put the embattled US aviation giant under even greater pressure to restore clients' confidence and demonstrate the airworthiness of planes that crashed twice in less than five months.

The company says it plans to release a software fix to the anti-stall system used aboard the 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks. US regulators this week demanded further improvements to a proposed fix before it could be submitted for review.

The Ethiopian probe appeared to confirm suspicions about the so-called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, with data echoing that from the crash of the Indonesian Lion Air 737 MAX 8 flight in October last year which killed 189 people.

The full report has not been publicly released but, according to a draft copy seen by AFP, shortly after take-off a sensor recording the level of the plane began transmitting faulty data, prompting the autopilot system to point the nose downwards.

"The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft," said Ethiopian Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges, unveiling results of the preliminary probe into the crash.

Boeing on Thursday said it would take "any and all" necessary safety measures to ensure the airworthiness of its jets following last month's deadly crash in Ethiopia.

Boeing on Thursday said it would take "any and all" necessary safety measures to ensure the airworthiness of its jets following last month's deadly crash in Ethiopia. The statement came hours after Ethiopian investigators said the pilots of a doomed Boeing 737 MAX 8 had repeatedly followed Boeing's recommended procedures prior to crashing on March 10. "We will carefully review the... preliminary report and will take any and all additional steps necessary to enhance the safety of our aircraft," Kevin McAllister, head of Boeing's commercial aircraft division, said in a statement. The Ethiopian investigators' preliminary findings put the embattled US aviation giant under even greater pressure to restore clients' confidence and demonstrate the airworthiness of planes that crashed twice in less than five months. The company says it plans to release a software fix to the anti-stall system used aboard the 737 MAX aircraft in the coming weeks. US regulators this week demanded further improvements to a proposed fix before it could be submitted for review. The Ethiopian probe appeared to confirm suspicions about the so-called Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, with data echoing that from the crash of the Indonesian Lion Air 737 MAX 8 flight in October last year which killed 189 people. The full report has not been publicly released but, according to a draft copy seen by AFP, shortly after take-off a sensor recording the level of the plane began transmitting faulty data, prompting the autopilot system to point the nose downwards. "The crew performed all the procedures repeatedly provided by the manufacturer but was not able to control the aircraft," said Ethiopian Transport Minister Dagmawit Moges, unveiling results of the preliminary probe into the crash.

Boeing says will take 'any and all' needed safety steps after Ethiopia crash

The United States Transport Department has directed its internal watchdog to conduct an inquiry into the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ethiopian-airline-crash-boeing-finalising-737-max-software-update-203974">Boeing 737 MAX 8</a>.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boeings-737-max-aircraft-what-comes-next-203786">Boeing aircraft</a>, which has been involved in two major crashes in the last five months, has been grounded by scores of governments and airlines citing safety concerns following the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash which claimed the lives of all 157 people on board.

The audit has been ordered by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Tuesday (local time), who stated, "Safety is the top priority of the department, and all of us are saddened by the fatalities resulting from the recent accidents involving two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia."

She further wrote that the inquiry will "help inform the department's&nbsp;decision-making and the public's understanding and to assist the FAA in ensuring that its safety procedures are implemented effectively," according to The New York Times.

The FAA finds itself mired in controversy over its certification and approval of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet."We are currently developing the scope and objectives of our review and expect to formally announce and begin our audit work as soon as possible," the Transportation Department`s Office of Inspector General said.

Boeing has since agreed to cooperate with the review.&nbsp;

The United States Transport Department has directed its internal watchdog to conduct an inquiry into the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

The United States Transport Department has directed its internal watchdog to conduct an inquiry into the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) approval of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. The Boeing aircraft, which has been involved in two major crashes in the last five months, has been grounded by scores of governments and airlines citing safety concerns following the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash which claimed the lives of all 157 people on board. The audit has been ordered by Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Tuesday (local time), who stated, "Safety is the top priority of the department, and all of us are saddened by the fatalities resulting from the recent accidents involving two Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in Indonesia and Ethiopia." She further wrote that the inquiry will "help inform the department's decision-making and the public's understanding and to assist the FAA in ensuring that its safety procedures are implemented effectively," according to The New York Times. The FAA finds itself mired in controversy over its certification and approval of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet."We are currently developing the scope and objectives of our review and expect to formally announce and begin our audit work as soon as possible," the Transportation Department`s Office of Inspector General said. Boeing has since agreed to cooperate with the review.

US calls for enquiry into FAA's approval of Boeing 737 MAX 8

The hunt for the cause of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people on board gathered pace on Saturday when investigators successfully downloaded the cockpit voice recorder and fresh details emerged of the final seconds of the flight.

While <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopia-crash-investigation-needs-considerable-time-minister-203773">experts say it is too soon to know what brought down the Boeing 737 MAX 8</a> on March 10, aviation authorities worldwide have grounded Boeing's 737 MAXs, as concerns over the plane caused the company's share price to tumble.

In Addis Ababa, a source who has listened to the air traffic control recording of the plane's communications said flight 302 had an unusually high speed after take-off before the plane reported problems and asked permission to climb quickly.

A voice from the cockpit of the Boeing BA.N 737 MAX asked to climb to 14,000 feet above sea level — about 6,400 feet above the airport — before urgently asking to return, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the recording is part of an ongoing investigation.

The plane vanished from radar at 10,800 feet.

"He said he had a flight control problem. That is why he wanted to climb," the source said, adding there were no further details given of the exact problem and the voice sounded nervous.

Experts say pilots typically ask to climb when experiencing problems near the ground in order to gain margin for manoeuvre and avoid any difficult terrain. Addis Ababa is surrounded by hills and, immediately to the north, the Entoto Mountains.

In Paris, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said data from the jet's cockpit voice recorder has been successfully downloaded. The French agency said in a tweet it had not listened to the audio files and that the data had been transferred to Ethiopian investigators.

The BEA also issued a photo showing the recorder intact but dented by the impact of the plane's crash into a field minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa.

"We are waiting for the results. We are making all the necessary efforts to identify the cause of the accident," Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges told reporters in Addis Ababa.

"This kind of investigation needs a considerable amount of time to reach concrete conclusions".

The Ethiopian carrier said DNA testing of the remains of the people on board flight 302 may take up to six months, and it offered bereaved families charred earth from the plane crash site to bury. Passengers from more than 30 nations were aboard.

Dagmawit said temporary death certificate had been given, and a final one would be issued in two weeks time. Collection of DNA samples from relatives had begun.

Victim identification would be done to scientific international standards, and internationally-recognised organisations such as Interpol were going to be involved in the process, she said.

As families await results from the investigation, the airline is planning to hold a service on Sunday in Addis Ababa, at the Kidist Selassie, or Holy Trinity Cathedral, where many of Ethiopia's past rulers are buried under its pink stone spires.

Earth from the crash site

"We were told by the company that we will be given a kilo (of earth) each for burial at Selassie Church for a funeral they will organise," said one family member who asked not to be named.

The return of remains - most of which are charred and fragmented - would take up to six months, the papers said, but in the meantime earth from the crash site would be given.

Around 100 relatives, including the brother and father of pilot Yared Getachew, gathered at a memorial for the victims at the Kenyan embassy.

"His dream was to be a pilot," said Meno Getachew Tessema, 39, Yared's brother. "He was diligent, hardworking, he had a consistent work ethic. I would like to emphasize his record and that he was a rising star at Ethiopian Airlines."

Flight data has already indicated some similarities with a crash by the same model of the plane during a Lion Air flight in October. All 189 people onboard were killed. Both planes crashed within minutes of take off after pilots reported problems.

The grounding of the 737 MAX jets has had no immediate financial impact on airlines using the planes, but it will get painful for the industry the longer they do not fly, companies and analysts said on Friday.

Boeing plans to release upgraded software for the 737 MAX in a week to 10 days, sources familiar with the matter said.

The US&nbsp;planemaker has been working on a software upgrade for an anti-stall system and pilot displays on its fastest-selling jetliner in the wake of the deadly Lion Air crash. 
&nbsp;

The hunt for the cause of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people on board gathered pace on Saturday when investigators successfully downloaded the cockpit voice recorder and fresh details emerged of the final seconds of the flight.

The hunt for the cause of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people on board gathered pace on Saturday when investigators successfully downloaded the cockpit voice recorder and fresh details emerged of the final seconds of the flight. While experts say it is too soon to know what brought down the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on March 10, aviation authorities worldwide have grounded Boeing's 737 MAXs, as concerns over the plane caused the company's share price to tumble. In Addis Ababa, a source who has listened to the air traffic control recording of the plane's communications said flight 302 had an unusually high speed after take-off before the plane reported problems and asked permission to climb quickly. A voice from the cockpit of the Boeing BA.N 737 MAX asked to climb to 14,000 feet above sea level — about 6,400 feet above the airport — before urgently asking to return, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the recording is part of an ongoing investigation. The plane vanished from radar at 10,800 feet. "He said he had a flight control problem. That is why he wanted to climb," the source said, adding there were no further details given of the exact problem and the voice sounded nervous. Experts say pilots typically ask to climb when experiencing problems near the ground in order to gain margin for manoeuvre and avoid any difficult terrain. Addis Ababa is surrounded by hills and, immediately to the north, the Entoto Mountains. In Paris, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said data from the jet's cockpit voice recorder has been successfully downloaded. The French agency said in a tweet it had not listened to the audio files and that the data had been transferred to Ethiopian investigators. The BEA also issued a photo showing the recorder intact but dented by the impact of the plane's crash into a field minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa. "We are waiting for the results. We are making all the necessary efforts to identify the cause of the accident," Ethiopian Minister of Transport Dagmawit Moges told reporters in Addis Ababa. "This kind of investigation needs a considerable amount of time to reach concrete conclusions". The Ethiopian carrier said DNA testing of the remains of the people on board flight 302 may take up to six months, and it offered bereaved families charred earth from the plane crash site to bury. Passengers from more than 30 nations were aboard. Dagmawit said temporary death certificate had been given, and a final one would be issued in two weeks time. Collection of DNA samples from relatives had begun. Victim identification would be done to scientific international standards, and internationally-recognised organisations such as Interpol were going to be involved in the process, she said. As families await results from the investigation, the airline is planning to hold a service on Sunday in Addis Ababa, at the Kidist Selassie, or Holy Trinity Cathedral, where many of Ethiopia's past rulers are buried under its pink stone spires. Earth from the crash site "We were told by the company that we will be given a kilo (of earth) each for burial at Selassie Church for a funeral they will organise," said one family member who asked not to be named. The return of remains - most of which are charred and fragmented - would take up to six months, the papers said, but in the meantime earth from the crash site would be given. Around 100 relatives, including the brother and father of pilot Yared Getachew, gathered at a memorial for the victims at the Kenyan embassy. "His dream was to be a pilot," said Meno Getachew Tessema, 39, Yared's brother. "He was diligent, hardworking, he had a consistent work ethic. I would like to emphasize his record and that he was a rising star at Ethiopian Airlines." Flight data has already indicated some similarities with a crash by the same model of the plane during a Lion Air flight in October. All 189 people onboard were killed. Both planes crashed within minutes of take off after pilots reported problems. The grounding of the 737 MAX jets has had no immediate financial impact on airlines using the planes, but it will get painful for the industry the longer they do not fly, companies and analysts said on Friday. Boeing plans to release upgraded software for the 737 MAX in a week to 10 days, sources familiar with the matter said. The US planemaker has been working on a software upgrade for an anti-stall system and pilot displays on its fastest-selling jetliner in the wake of the deadly Lion Air crash.

Ethiopia crash probe advances, reveals flight had unusually high speed after take-off

Identifying the cause of the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people and caused the worldwide grounding of a brand-new Boeing aircraft model will take "considerable time," an Ethiopian government minister said Saturday.

The crash of Flight ET 302 minutes into its flight to Nairobi on March 10 killed all onboard and caused the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft model involved in the disaster.

"The investigation of such magnitude requires careful analysis and considerable time to come up with something concrete," transport minister Dagmawit Moges told a press conference.

Witnesses said the plane nose-dived into remote farmland southeast of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, reducing the plane to small pieces of debris buried deep in the earth. The victims came from 35 countries.

Dagmawit said it would take up to six months to identify remains, and family members were being encouraged to submit DNA samples in Addis Ababa or at Ethiopian Airlines offices overseas.

Death certificates would be issued in two weeks, she added.

The black boxes from the Ethiopian craft were sent to France's BEA air safety agency this week to determine the cause of the accident.

The data from one of them, the cockpit voice recorder, has already been extracted and handed over to Ethiopian authorities, the BEA said Saturday.

"The work continues" to obtain the data from the flight data recorder, which was badly damaged in the crash, it added.

A relative of one of the crash victims who asked not to named expressed frustration with the wait for remains.

The person said that under the victim's Jewish faith, no funeral could be held until his remains were returned, and the six-month delay was distressing for his family.

"They are in immense pressure and remorse as it is, without waiting half a year," the relative added.

The crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was the second deadly incidence for the 737 MAX 8 following the October crash of an Indonesian Lion Air jet that killed all 189 passengers and crew.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a brand-new jet. The crash of two of them in the space of just a few months, coupled with similarities in the circumstances, led countries and airlines around the world to ground the plane.

A preliminary report into the Lion Air disaster was published a month after the crash. 
&nbsp;

Identifying the cause of the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people and caused the worldwide grounding of a brand-new Boeing aircraft model will take "considerable time," an Ethiopian government minister said Saturday.

Identifying the cause of the deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed 157 people and caused the worldwide grounding of a brand-new Boeing aircraft model will take "considerable time," an Ethiopian government minister said Saturday. The crash of Flight ET 302 minutes into its flight to Nairobi on March 10 killed all onboard and caused the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft model involved in the disaster. "The investigation of such magnitude requires careful analysis and considerable time to come up with something concrete," transport minister Dagmawit Moges told a press conference. Witnesses said the plane nose-dived into remote farmland southeast of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, reducing the plane to small pieces of debris buried deep in the earth. The victims came from 35 countries. Dagmawit said it would take up to six months to identify remains, and family members were being encouraged to submit DNA samples in Addis Ababa or at Ethiopian Airlines offices overseas. Death certificates would be issued in two weeks, she added. The black boxes from the Ethiopian craft were sent to France's BEA air safety agency this week to determine the cause of the accident. The data from one of them, the cockpit voice recorder, has already been extracted and handed over to Ethiopian authorities, the BEA said Saturday. "The work continues" to obtain the data from the flight data recorder, which was badly damaged in the crash, it added. A relative of one of the crash victims who asked not to named expressed frustration with the wait for remains. The person said that under the victim's Jewish faith, no funeral could be held until his remains were returned, and the six-month delay was distressing for his family. "They are in immense pressure and remorse as it is, without waiting half a year," the relative added. The crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was the second deadly incidence for the 737 MAX 8 following the October crash of an Indonesian Lion Air jet that killed all 189 passengers and crew. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a brand-new jet. The crash of two of them in the space of just a few months, coupled with similarities in the circumstances, led countries and airlines around the world to ground the plane. A preliminary report into the Lion Air disaster was published a month after the crash.

Ethiopia crash investigation needs 'considerable' time: Minister

Investigators seeking the cause of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed all 157 people on board have begun studying the cockpit voice recorder, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said on Saturday.

Downloading the data from the recorder retrieved from wreckage of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane was expected to take four to five hours, a spokesman for the agency said.

The BEA also issued a photo showing the recorder intact but dented by the impact of the plane's crash into a field on Sunday minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian carrier said DNA testing of the remains of the people on board flight 302 may take up to six months, and it offered bereaved families charred earth from the plane crash site to bury. Passengers from more than 30 nations were aboard.

Investigators seeking the cause of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed all 157 people on board have begun studying the cockpit voice recorder, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said on Saturday.

Investigators seeking the cause of the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed all 157 people on board have begun studying the cockpit voice recorder, France's BEA air accident investigation agency said on Saturday. Downloading the data from the recorder retrieved from wreckage of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane was expected to take four to five hours, a spokesman for the agency said. The BEA also issued a photo showing the recorder intact but dented by the impact of the plane's crash into a field on Sunday minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian carrier said DNA testing of the remains of the people on board flight 302 may take up to six months, and it offered bereaved families charred earth from the plane crash site to bury. Passengers from more than 30 nations were aboard.

Investigators start studying Ethiopia jet cockpit recorder

Boeing faces a major crisis

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/full-confidence-in-safety-of-737-max-plane-boeing-203079">Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets</a>, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.&nbsp;

The world's biggest planemaker is facing its most serious crisis in years, as the decades-old 737 programme, one of its most reliable sources of cash and profits, takes a severe blow to its prestige.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-not-to-suspend-boeing-737-max-plane-federal-aviation-administration-202979">US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) </a>cited new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday`s crash near Addis Ababa for its decision to ground the planes.&nbsp;

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It was the second time the FAA has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries.

Shares of the Seattle-based company ended up 0.5 per cent at $377.14, recovering from a more than 3 per cent fall in the afternoon when the FAA announcement was made.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-all-boeing-737-max-planes-now-grounded-government-warns-tomorrow-will-be-real-challenging-day-203110">All Boeing 737 Max planes now grounded in India</a>

Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York, said the grounding gives <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/a-look-at-how-boeing-could-lose-billions-of-dollars-post-the-ethiopian-airlines-crash-203172">Boeing</a> time to address any problems and not face another potential disaster.

US airlines that operate the 737 MAX, Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines, said they were working to re-book passengers.

Southwest is the world`s largest operator of the 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets, while American flies 24 MAX 8s and United 14 MAX 9s.&nbsp;

Shares of Southwest fell 0.4 per cent.&nbsp;

"The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analysed today," the FAA said in a statement, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded.&nbsp;

"This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision."

The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates.

Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said in a statement that it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights.

"Boeing has determined - out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety - to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft."

The still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers.

France`s air accident investigation agency BEA will analyse black-box cockpit voice and data recorders from the crashed plane, a spokesman said.

The French announcement resolved uncertainty over the fate of the two recorders after Germany`s BFU said it had declined a request to handle them because it could not process the new type of recorder used on the 737 MAX jets, in service since 2017.

Travel website Kayak was making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites were looking to reroute passengers.

The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents aviation workers and flight attendants, said the grounding of the fleet was right "both for air travellers and aviation workers."

Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October.

US-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said.&nbsp;

Aireon`s space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at systems running inside the plane.

Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds.

"The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back," he said.&nbsp;

The chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democrat Peter DeFazio, called for a probe into why the 737 MAX received certification to fly.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

"There must be a rigorous investigation into why the aircraft, which has critical safety systems that did not exist on prior models, was certified without requiring additional pilot training," he said.

Panama`s Copa Holdings said it would also suspend operations of its six Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, but Latin America has largely left it up to carriers to make their own decisions. As of Wednesday night, regulators in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, the largest air travel markets in the region, had not forced the grounding of planes.

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months.

The United States on Wednesday joined Europe, China and other countries in grounding Boeing Co's 737 MAX jets, because of safety concerns after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people, the second disaster involving the 737 in less than five months. The world's biggest planemaker is facing its most serious crisis in years, as the decades-old 737 programme, one of its most reliable sources of cash and profits, takes a severe blow to its prestige. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) cited new satellite data and evidence from the scene of Sunday`s crash near Addis Ababa for its decision to ground the planes. × It was the second time the FAA has halted flights of a Boeing plane in six years. It had grounded the 787 Dreamliner in 2013 because of problems with smoking batteries. Shares of the Seattle-based company ended up 0.5 per cent at $377.14, recovering from a more than 3 per cent fall in the afternoon when the FAA announcement was made. Also read: All Boeing 737 Max planes now grounded in India Tim Ghriskey, chief investment strategist at Inverness Counsel in New York, said the grounding gives Boeing time to address any problems and not face another potential disaster. US airlines that operate the 737 MAX, Southwest Airlines Co, American Airlines Group Inc and United Airlines, said they were working to re-book passengers. Southwest is the world`s largest operator of the 737 MAX 8 with 34 jets, while American flies 24 MAX 8s and United 14 MAX 9s. Shares of Southwest fell 0.4 per cent. "The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analysed today," the FAA said in a statement, shortly after US President Donald Trump announced the planes would be grounded. "This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision." The grounding will remain in effect as the FAA investigates. Boeing, which maintained that its planes were safe to fly, said in a statement that it supported the move to temporarily ground 737 MAX flights. "Boeing has determined - out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety - to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft." The still-unexplained crash followed another involving a Boeing 737 MAX in Indonesia five months ago that killed 189 people. Although there is no proof of any link, the twin disasters have spooked passengers. France`s air accident investigation agency BEA will analyse black-box cockpit voice and data recorders from the crashed plane, a spokesman said. The French announcement resolved uncertainty over the fate of the two recorders after Germany`s BFU said it had declined a request to handle them because it could not process the new type of recorder used on the 737 MAX jets, in service since 2017. Travel website Kayak was making changes to let customers exclude specific aircraft types from searches, and booking sites were looking to reroute passengers. The grounding was welcomed by air workers in the United States. John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union of America, which represents aviation workers and flight attendants, said the grounding of the fleet was right "both for air travellers and aviation workers." Canada also grounded 737 MAX jets on Wednesday, saying satellite data suggested similarities to the previous crash involving the same plane model in October. US-based aircraft-tracking firm Aireon provided the satellite data to the FAA, Transport Canada and several other authorities, company spokeswoman Jessie Hillenbrand said. Aireon`s space-based system can monitor data from aircraft equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponders. The data is considered less detailed than that in black boxes, which look at systems running inside the plane. Ethiopian Airlines spokesman Asrat Begashaw said it was still unclear what happened on Sunday, but its pilot had reported control issues as opposed to external factors such as birds. "The pilot reported flight control problems and requested to turn back. In fact he was allowed to turn back," he said. The chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Democrat Peter DeFazio, called for a probe into why the 737 MAX received certification to fly. "There must be a rigorous investigation into why the aircraft, which has critical safety systems that did not exist on prior models, was certified without requiring additional pilot training," he said. Panama`s Copa Holdings said it would also suspend operations of its six Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, but Latin America has largely left it up to carriers to make their own decisions. As of Wednesday night, regulators in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, the largest air travel markets in the region, had not forced the grounding of planes.

US joins other nations in grounding 737 MAX jets after Ethiopian Airlines plane

Boeing Company, which is facing backlash after its plane of model 737 MAX crashed on Sunday in Ethiopia killing all 157 passengers on board, said that it has "full confidence" in the safety of the plane. 
 
"Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX," said Boeing in a statement on Tuesday. 
 
In the wake of several countries` decision to ban or suspend the services of their respective Boeing planes, the company said, "We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets. 
 
"We will continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets," said the firm. 
 
Clarifying that no new guidance is coming, Boeing said, "The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available. 
 
"On Sunday, all 157 people on board lost their lives when the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed a few minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport. 
 
The black box has since been recovered as investigators scurry to establish any links between the latest crash and last year`s Lion Air crash, which involved a Boeing jet of the same make. 
 
Earlier in the day, aviation authorities in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and Oman have also temporarily suspended Boeing 737 MAX services. 
 
As many as 189 people were killed in October last year, when a Lion Air jet - a Boeing737 MAX 8 - crashed in the Java Sea, close to Jakarta, Indonesia. 
 
Most of the countries and carriers where the said jets are being used have taken precautions following the tragic crashes. South Korea and India launched a special inspection of the planes, while China, Ethiopian Airlines and Cayman Airways have grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet.&nbsp;

Boeing Company, which is facing backlash after its plane of model 737 MAX crashed on Sunday in Ethiopia killing all 157 passengers on board, said that it has "full confidence" in the safety of the plane.

Boeing Company, which is facing backlash after its plane of model 737 MAX crashed on Sunday in Ethiopia killing all 157 passengers on board, said that it has "full confidence" in the safety of the plane. "Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX," said Boeing in a statement on Tuesday. In the wake of several countries` decision to ban or suspend the services of their respective Boeing planes, the company said, "We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets. "We will continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets," said the firm. Clarifying that no new guidance is coming, Boeing said, "The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available. "On Sunday, all 157 people on board lost their lives when the Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, crashed a few minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa's Bole International Airport. The black box has since been recovered as investigators scurry to establish any links between the latest crash and last year`s Lion Air crash, which involved a Boeing jet of the same make. Earlier in the day, aviation authorities in Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, and Oman have also temporarily suspended Boeing 737 MAX services. As many as 189 people were killed in October last year, when a Lion Air jet - a Boeing737 MAX 8 - crashed in the Java Sea, close to Jakarta, Indonesia. Most of the countries and carriers where the said jets are being used have taken precautions following the tragic crashes. South Korea and India launched a special inspection of the planes, while China, Ethiopian Airlines and Cayman Airways have grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet.

Full confidence in safety of 737 MAX plane: Boeing

Britain on Tuesday joined four other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace as a growing number of airlines around the world grounded the jets following a second deadly accident in just five months.

On Sunday, a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board. It came after a Lion Air jet of the same model crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

Investigators have recovered the black box flight recorders from the Ethiopian Airlines plane, which crashed near Addis Ababa carrying passengers and crew from 35 countries -- including some two dozen UN staff.

US regulators have ordered Boeing to make urgent improvements to the model and insisted they would take action if safety issues are detected.

But it was not enough to reassure aviation authorities in Britain and four other countries -- <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/australia-temporarily-suspends-boeing-737-max-service-after-china-singapore-stops-service-202856">Singapore, Australia,</a> Malaysia and Oman -- who temporarily banned all 737 MAX planes from their airspace.

China, a hugely important market for Boeing, had already ordered domestic airlines to suspend operations of the plane Monday, as did Indonesia.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement headlined "Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft" that "as a precautionary measure" it had decided "to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace".

Aviation regulators in Singapore, a global air travel hub and popular transit point for long-haul travellers, said they would work with the country's main airport and "the affected airlines to minimise any impact to travelling passengers".&nbsp;

One Singapore airline, SilkAir, uses 737 MAX aircraft while a handful of foreign airlines operate the planes in the city-state.

In its statement announcing the 737 MAX ban, Malaysia's aviation regulator noted the two recent fatal accidents involving the model.

Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation said it was suspending the variant's flights in its jurisdiction "until further notice".

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said Tuesday it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Norwegian, which operates 18 of the planes, will keep them grounded pending advice from aviation authorities, operations chief Tomas Hesthammer told AFP in an email.

South Korea meanwhile ordered the only airline in the country that operates the jets to suspend operations of its two MAX 8s. Argentina's flag carrier also grounded five MAX 8 aircraft on Tuesday, as did airlines in countries including South Africa, Brazil and Mexico.

But several airlines said they are not cancelling MAX 8 flights, while US carriers appeared to maintain confidence in the manufacturer.

"The Boeing 737 MAX is a highly sophisticated aircraft," said India's SpiceJet, which has 13 of the MAX 8 variants in its 75-strong fleet.

"It has flown hundreds of thousands of hours globally and some of the world's largest airlines are flying this aircraft," it said in a statement.

'Significant industry impact'

Boeing has described the MAX series as its fastest-selling family of planes, with more than 5,000 orders placed to date from about 100 customers.

But not since the 1970s -- when the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 suffered successive fatal incidents -- has a new model been involved in two deadly accidents in such a short period.

The weekend crash sent Boeing shares nosediving as much as 12 per cent on Monday.

"I think the impact for the industry is significant," said Gerry Soejatman, a Jakarta-based aviation analyst.

"We have a new type of aircraft -- that type of aircraft has only been in service for two years -- and... we have two accidents with seemingly similar circumstances."

The plane involved in Sunday's crash was less than four months old, with Ethiopian Airlines saying it was delivered on November 15.

It went down near the village of Tulu Fara, some 40 miles (60 kilometres) east of Addis Ababa.

Inhabitants of the remote area looked on from behind a security cordon as inspectors searched the crash site and excavated it with a mechanical digger.

The single-aisle jet had left a deep, black crater.

Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot was given clearance to turn around after indicating problems shortly before the plane disappeared from radar.

The airline's chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg early Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "dispatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged.

The crash cast a pall over a gathering of the UN Environment Programme as it opened in Nairobi -- at least 22 staff from several UN agencies were on board the doomed flight.

Delegates hugged and comforted one another as they arrived at the meeting with the UN flag flying at half-mast.

Other passengers included tourists and business travellers.

Kenya had the highest death toll among the nationalities on the flight with 32, according to Ethiopian Airlines. Canada was next with 18 victims.

There were also passengers from other countries including Ethiopia, Italy, the United States, Britain and France.

Britain on Tuesday joined four other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace as a growing number of airlines around the world grounded the jets following a second deadly accident in just five months.

Britain on Tuesday joined four other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace as a growing number of airlines around the world grounded the jets following a second deadly accident in just five months. On Sunday, a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight to Nairobi, killing all 157 people on board. It came after a Lion Air jet of the same model crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189. Investigators have recovered the black box flight recorders from the Ethiopian Airlines plane, which crashed near Addis Ababa carrying passengers and crew from 35 countries -- including some two dozen UN staff. US regulators have ordered Boeing to make urgent improvements to the model and insisted they would take action if safety issues are detected. But it was not enough to reassure aviation authorities in Britain and four other countries -- Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Oman -- who temporarily banned all 737 MAX planes from their airspace. China, a hugely important market for Boeing, had already ordered domestic airlines to suspend operations of the plane Monday, as did Indonesia. The UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement headlined "Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft" that "as a precautionary measure" it had decided "to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace". Aviation regulators in Singapore, a global air travel hub and popular transit point for long-haul travellers, said they would work with the country's main airport and "the affected airlines to minimise any impact to travelling passengers". One Singapore airline, SilkAir, uses 737 MAX aircraft while a handful of foreign airlines operate the planes in the city-state. In its statement announcing the 737 MAX ban, Malaysia's aviation regulator noted the two recent fatal accidents involving the model. Oman's Public Authority for Civil Aviation said it was suspending the variant's flights in its jurisdiction "until further notice". Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said Tuesday it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft until further notice. Norwegian, which operates 18 of the planes, will keep them grounded pending advice from aviation authorities, operations chief Tomas Hesthammer told AFP in an email. South Korea meanwhile ordered the only airline in the country that operates the jets to suspend operations of its two MAX 8s. Argentina's flag carrier also grounded five MAX 8 aircraft on Tuesday, as did airlines in countries including South Africa, Brazil and Mexico. But several airlines said they are not cancelling MAX 8 flights, while US carriers appeared to maintain confidence in the manufacturer. "The Boeing 737 MAX is a highly sophisticated aircraft," said India's SpiceJet, which has 13 of the MAX 8 variants in its 75-strong fleet. "It has flown hundreds of thousands of hours globally and some of the world's largest airlines are flying this aircraft," it said in a statement. 'Significant industry impact' Boeing has described the MAX series as its fastest-selling family of planes, with more than 5,000 orders placed to date from about 100 customers. But not since the 1970s -- when the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 suffered successive fatal incidents -- has a new model been involved in two deadly accidents in such a short period. The weekend crash sent Boeing shares nosediving as much as 12 per cent on Monday. "I think the impact for the industry is significant," said Gerry Soejatman, a Jakarta-based aviation analyst. "We have a new type of aircraft -- that type of aircraft has only been in service for two years -- and... we have two accidents with seemingly similar circumstances." The plane involved in Sunday's crash was less than four months old, with Ethiopian Airlines saying it was delivered on November 15. It went down near the village of Tulu Fara, some 40 miles (60 kilometres) east of Addis Ababa. Inhabitants of the remote area looked on from behind a security cordon as inspectors searched the crash site and excavated it with a mechanical digger. The single-aisle jet had left a deep, black crater. Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot was given clearance to turn around after indicating problems shortly before the plane disappeared from radar. The airline's chief executive Tewolde GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg early Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "dispatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged. The crash cast a pall over a gathering of the UN Environment Programme as it opened in Nairobi -- at least 22 staff from several UN agencies were on board the doomed flight. Delegates hugged and comforted one another as they arrived at the meeting with the UN flag flying at half-mast. Other passengers included tourists and business travellers. Kenya had the highest death toll among the nationalities on the flight with 32, according to Ethiopian Airlines. Canada was next with 18 victims. There were also passengers from other countries including Ethiopia, Italy, the United States, Britain and France.

Britain joins wave of countries banning Boeing 737 MAX jets after Ethiopia crash

Boeing Co's stock took another beating on Tuesday, knocking off more than $25 billion from the planemaker's market value over the past two days, as more countries lined up to ground its 737 MAX 8 aircraft following Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia.

Britain joined China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and other countries in banning the 737 MAX planes, squeezing the shares, which had been one of best-performing stocks so far this year on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Boeing shares have delivered a total return - including reinvested dividends - of nearly four times the performance of the full index since US stocks began rebounding from the 2007-09 financial crisis.

The stock fell 7 per cent to $372 in midday trade on Tuesday, adding to a 5 per cent decline on Monday. The losses set the stock for its biggest two-day percentage drop since June 2009.

Shares of US airlines were broadly lower in midday trade, with the S&amp;P 1500 airlines index off 1.5 per cent. Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc, which analysts said were among the US airlines most exposed to the Boeing aircraft model at issue, saw their shares fall more than 2 per cent.

At least seven of the 24 analysts covering the stock have reviewed their ratings over the last two days, with two downgrades and one price target cut so far, according to Refinitiv data.

DZ Bank became the first brokerage in nearly two years to place a "sell" rating on the stock, while setting a price target of $333 - the lowest on Wall Street.

Brokerage Edward Jones also downgraded the stock to "hold" from "buy", saying the accidents could result in additional expenses, some order delays and pressure financial results.

The single-aisle 737, the world's most-sold commercial aircraft, is central to Boeing's future. The MAX line is the fastest-selling jetliner in the company's history with more than 5,000 orders booked and a backlog valued at nearly $500 billion at list prices.

The United States will mandate that Boeing implement design changes by April, but said the plane was airworthy and did not need to be grounded.

Boeing defended its aircraft and said it has "full confidence in the safety of the Max."

Safety experts say it is too early to speculate on what caused Sunday's crash and black box recorders were yet to yield the cause.

Boeing Co's stock took another beating on Tuesday, knocking off more than $25 billion from the planemaker's market value over the past two days, as more countries lined up to ground its 737 MAX 8 aircraft following Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia.

Boeing Co's stock took another beating on Tuesday, knocking off more than $25 billion from the planemaker's market value over the past two days, as more countries lined up to ground its 737 MAX 8 aircraft following Sunday's deadly crash in Ethiopia. Britain joined China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and other countries in banning the 737 MAX planes, squeezing the shares, which had been one of best-performing stocks so far this year on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Boeing shares have delivered a total return - including reinvested dividends - of nearly four times the performance of the full index since US stocks began rebounding from the 2007-09 financial crisis. The stock fell 7 per cent to $372 in midday trade on Tuesday, adding to a 5 per cent decline on Monday. The losses set the stock for its biggest two-day percentage drop since June 2009. Shares of US airlines were broadly lower in midday trade, with the S&P 1500 airlines index off 1.5 per cent. Southwest Airlines Co and American Airlines Group Inc, which analysts said were among the US airlines most exposed to the Boeing aircraft model at issue, saw their shares fall more than 2 per cent. At least seven of the 24 analysts covering the stock have reviewed their ratings over the last two days, with two downgrades and one price target cut so far, according to Refinitiv data. DZ Bank became the first brokerage in nearly two years to place a "sell" rating on the stock, while setting a price target of $333 - the lowest on Wall Street. Brokerage Edward Jones also downgraded the stock to "hold" from "buy", saying the accidents could result in additional expenses, some order delays and pressure financial results. The single-aisle 737, the world's most-sold commercial aircraft, is central to Boeing's future. The MAX line is the fastest-selling jetliner in the company's history with more than 5,000 orders booked and a backlog valued at nearly $500 billion at list prices. The United States will mandate that Boeing implement design changes by April, but said the plane was airworthy and did not need to be grounded. Boeing defended its aircraft and said it has "full confidence in the safety of the Max." Safety experts say it is too early to speculate on what caused Sunday's crash and black box recorders were yet to yield the cause.

Boeing shares take another hit as more countries ground 737 MAX 8 planes

A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.

Several individual airlines have grounded their B-737 MAX 8 aircraft but many others are continuing to fly the plane pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself.

The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- and some officials have detected similarities between the two accidents.

There are some 350 737 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world with more than 5,000 on order.

Countries banning B-737 MAX planes

Australia:

Australia barred Boeing 737 MAX planes from its airspace. Fiji Airways is the only 737 MAX operator affected by the Australian ban, according to Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as Singapore-based SilkAir's planes were already covered by a ban imposed by the city-state.

Britain: 
In Britain, the authorities said that "as a precautionary measure" on the plane, they had decided "to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace".

China: 
Beijing Monday ordered domestic airlines to suspend the operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, citing the two crashes.

Noting "similarities" between the two incidents, China said operation of the model would only resume after "confirming the relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety".

France: 
The French civil aviation authority banned B-737 MAX aircraft from French airspace "as a precautionary measure".&nbsp;

Germany: 
Germany banned all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes from its airspace.

"Safety comes first. Until all doubts have been cleared up, I have ordered that German airspace be closed to all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with immediate effect," Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said.

There are currently no 737 MAX planes registered in Germany.

Indonesia: 
Indonesia said it was grounding 11 jets of the 737 MAX 8 type.

The planes would remain grounded until they were cleared by safety regulators, Director General of Air Transport Polana Pramesti said.

Ireland: 
Ireland banned "all variants" of the Boeing 737 MAX from its airspace.

Malaysia: 
Malaysia banned the plane from its airspace. No Malaysian carriers currently operate the model, the aviation authority said.

Mongolia:&nbsp; 
The Mongolian Civil Aviation Authority said on Facebook it had ordered the state carrier MIAT Mongolian Airlines to ground the sole Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet.

Oman: 
Oman suspended Boeing 737 MAX flights "until further notice".

Singapore:&nbsp; 
Singapore banned the aircraft from its airspace.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it was "temporarily suspending operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore" in light of the two recent accidents.

Airlines grounding B-737 MAX jets&nbsp;

Aerolineas Argentinas: 
Argentina's flagship carrier suspended operation of its five 737 MAX 8s pending the result of investigations into the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane. Earlier its pilots had refused to fly the jet.

Aeromexico: 
Aeromexico, which has six 737 MAX 8s in its fleet, grounded the aircraft.

Cayman Airways: 
Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms said it would suspend flights for its two 737 MAX 8 planes "until more information is received".

Comair: 
South African airline Comair said it had "decided to remove its 737 MAX from its flight schedule".

Eastar Jet: 
Eastar Jet, the only South Korean airline owning the aircraft, was told by the country's government to ground them.

Ethiopian Airlines: 
Ethiopian Airlines said Monday it had grounded its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet "until further notice".

"Although we don't yet know the cause of the accident, we have to decide to ground the particular fleet as an extra safety precaution," said the state-owned carrier, Africa's largest.

Gol Airlines: 
Brazil's Gol Airlines said it was temporarily suspending use of the plane.

Icelandair: 
Icelandair suspended its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

Norwegian: 
Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft "until advised otherwise by the relevant aviation authorities".

TUI: 
German carrier TUI fly, owned by Germany's TUI travel group, said it would ground its 15 aircraft of the B-737 MAX type which are stationed in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg.

Turkish Airlines: 
Turkish Airlines said it was suspending flights using its fleet of 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Currently no ban on B-737 MAX planes&nbsp;

Dubai: 
Airline Flydubai said it was "monitoring the situation" and it was "confident in the airworthiness of our fleet".

India: 
India's aviation regulator said Monday that it had imposed additional "interim" safety requirements for ground engineers and crew for the aircraft, but stopped short of ordering their grounding.&nbsp;

Indian airline SpiceJet, which flies 13 B-737 MAX 8 planes, jumped to the defence of the plane, calling it "a highly sophisticated aircraft".

Italy: 
Air Italy said it would follow all directives "to ensure the maximum level of safety and security". In the meantime, its planes remain in the air.

Russia: 
Russian airline S7 said it was closely following the crash investigation and was in contact with Boeing, but had received no instructions to stop flying the 737 MAX 8.

US: 
The US Federal Aviation Administration said it would not make any decision until it has more evidence.

"No updates so far. We continue to be involved in the accident investigation and will make decisions on any further steps based on the evidence," FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunsford told AFP.

Boeing, which has sent experts to assist in the Ethiopia probe, said safety is its "number one priority".

"The investigation is in its early stages, but at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators," it said in a statement.

Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the 737 MAX 8 planes, said: "We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft."

A source told AFP that American Airlines planned to continue operating its two dozen 737 MAX 8s.&nbsp;

A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.

A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board. Several individual airlines have grounded their B-737 MAX 8 aircraft but many others are continuing to fly the plane pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself. The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- and some officials have detected similarities between the two accidents. There are some 350 737 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world with more than 5,000 on order. Countries banning B-737 MAX planes Australia: Australia barred Boeing 737 MAX planes from its airspace. Fiji Airways is the only 737 MAX operator affected by the Australian ban, according to Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, as Singapore-based SilkAir's planes were already covered by a ban imposed by the city-state. Britain: In Britain, the authorities said that "as a precautionary measure" on the plane, they had decided "to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace". China: Beijing Monday ordered domestic airlines to suspend the operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, citing the two crashes. Noting "similarities" between the two incidents, China said operation of the model would only resume after "confirming the relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety". France: The French civil aviation authority banned B-737 MAX aircraft from French airspace "as a precautionary measure". Germany: Germany banned all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes from its airspace. "Safety comes first. Until all doubts have been cleared up, I have ordered that German airspace be closed to all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with immediate effect," Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer said. There are currently no 737 MAX planes registered in Germany. Indonesia: Indonesia said it was grounding 11 jets of the 737 MAX 8 type. The planes would remain grounded until they were cleared by safety regulators, Director General of Air Transport Polana Pramesti said. Ireland: Ireland banned "all variants" of the Boeing 737 MAX from its airspace. Malaysia: Malaysia banned the plane from its airspace. No Malaysian carriers currently operate the model, the aviation authority said. Mongolia: The Mongolian Civil Aviation Authority said on Facebook it had ordered the state carrier MIAT Mongolian Airlines to ground the sole Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet. Oman: Oman suspended Boeing 737 MAX flights "until further notice". Singapore: Singapore banned the aircraft from its airspace. The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it was "temporarily suspending operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore" in light of the two recent accidents. Airlines grounding B-737 MAX jets Aerolineas Argentinas: Argentina's flagship carrier suspended operation of its five 737 MAX 8s pending the result of investigations into the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane. Earlier its pilots had refused to fly the jet. Aeromexico: Aeromexico, which has six 737 MAX 8s in its fleet, grounded the aircraft. Cayman Airways: Cayman Airways CEO Fabian Whorms said it would suspend flights for its two 737 MAX 8 planes "until more information is received". Comair: South African airline Comair said it had "decided to remove its 737 MAX from its flight schedule". Eastar Jet: Eastar Jet, the only South Korean airline owning the aircraft, was told by the country's government to ground them. Ethiopian Airlines: Ethiopian Airlines said Monday it had grounded its Boeing 737 MAX 8 fleet "until further notice". "Although we don't yet know the cause of the accident, we have to decide to ground the particular fleet as an extra safety precaution," said the state-owned carrier, Africa's largest. Gol Airlines: Brazil's Gol Airlines said it was temporarily suspending use of the plane. Icelandair: Icelandair suspended its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes. Norwegian: Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft "until advised otherwise by the relevant aviation authorities". TUI: German carrier TUI fly, owned by Germany's TUI travel group, said it would ground its 15 aircraft of the B-737 MAX type which are stationed in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Turkish Airlines: Turkish Airlines said it was suspending flights using its fleet of 12 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Currently no ban on B-737 MAX planes Dubai: Airline Flydubai said it was "monitoring the situation" and it was "confident in the airworthiness of our fleet". India: India's aviation regulator said Monday that it had imposed additional "interim" safety requirements for ground engineers and crew for the aircraft, but stopped short of ordering their grounding. Indian airline SpiceJet, which flies 13 B-737 MAX 8 planes, jumped to the defence of the plane, calling it "a highly sophisticated aircraft". Italy: Air Italy said it would follow all directives "to ensure the maximum level of safety and security". In the meantime, its planes remain in the air. Russia: Russian airline S7 said it was closely following the crash investigation and was in contact with Boeing, but had received no instructions to stop flying the 737 MAX 8. US: The US Federal Aviation Administration said it would not make any decision until it has more evidence. "No updates so far. We continue to be involved in the accident investigation and will make decisions on any further steps based on the evidence," FAA spokesperson Lynn Lunsford told AFP. Boeing, which has sent experts to assist in the Ethiopia probe, said safety is its "number one priority". "The investigation is in its early stages, but at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators," it said in a statement. Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the 737 MAX 8 planes, said: "We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft." A source told AFP that American Airlines planned to continue operating its two dozen 737 MAX 8s.

Nations, airlines grounding Boeing's 737 MAX

Joining a host of countries which have blocked the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-to-upgrade-software-in-737-max-8-fleet-in-weeks-202738">Boeing 737 MAX planes</a> from their airspace after the deadly crash, Australia on Tuesday barred the&nbsp;model of the&nbsp;Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed&nbsp;all 157 aboard on Sunday.

"This is a temporary suspension while we wait for more information to review the safety risks of continued operations of the Boeing 737 MAX to and from Australia," Shane Carmody, CEO of Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, said in a statement. "CASA regrets any inconvenience to passengers but believes it is important to always put safety first."

Fiji Airlines is the only 737 MAX operator affected by the Australian ban, according to CASA. Singapore-based SilkAir used the planes for flights to Australia, but those were already suspended after the city-state barred the model from its airspace.&nbsp;

South Korea on Tuesday became the latest country to suspend operations of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the model involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

"We have advised Eastar Jet, the only South Korean airline that owns the B737-8 (two aircraft) -- the same model involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash -- to ground them," the land, infrastructure and transport ministry said.

"Eastar Jet has agreed to do so, and told us it will suspend the aircraft's operations starting Wednesday," it said in a statement.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1nGDiy4634k" width="560"></iframe>

A number of countries (China, Indonesia, Singapore and Mongolia) had earlier grounded Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet in response to the airline&nbsp;crash.

The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- with some detecting similarities between the two accidents.

There are some 350 of the 737 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world and while some countries and airlines have opted to ground the planes, others are continuing to fly the aircraft pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself.

Boeing&nbsp;Co confirmed late on Monday that it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/boeing-737-max-8-airworthy-but-it-will-make-design-changes-us-202724">design changes</a>" in the aircraft by April.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Joining a host of countries which have blocked the Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace after the deadly crash, Australia on Tuesday barred the model of the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 aboard on Sunday.

Joining a host of countries which have blocked the Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace after the deadly crash, Australia on Tuesday barred the model of the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 aboard on Sunday. "This is a temporary suspension while we wait for more information to review the safety risks of continued operations of the Boeing 737 MAX to and from Australia," Shane Carmody, CEO of Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority, said in a statement. "CASA regrets any inconvenience to passengers but believes it is important to always put safety first." Fiji Airlines is the only 737 MAX operator affected by the Australian ban, according to CASA. Singapore-based SilkAir used the planes for flights to Australia, but those were already suspended after the city-state barred the model from its airspace. South Korea on Tuesday became the latest country to suspend operations of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the model involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash. "We have advised Eastar Jet, the only South Korean airline that owns the B737-8 (two aircraft) -- the same model involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash -- to ground them," the land, infrastructure and transport ministry said. "Eastar Jet has agreed to do so, and told us it will suspend the aircraft's operations starting Wednesday," it said in a statement. A number of countries (China, Indonesia, Singapore and Mongolia) had earlier grounded Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet in response to the airline crash. The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- with some detecting similarities between the two accidents. There are some 350 of the 737 MAX 8 planes currently in service around the world and while some countries and airlines have opted to ground the planes, others are continuing to fly the aircraft pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself. Boeing Co confirmed late on Monday that it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 MAX 8, a few hours after the Federal Aviation Administration said it would mandate "design changes" in the aircraft by April.

Now, Australia & South Korea bar Boeing's 737 MAX from flying

For the second time in less than six months, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed minutes after takeoff and killed everyone on board, raising fresh questions about the safety of a model that is crucial to the US giant's future plans.

On Sunday, the 157 passengers and crew members of a 737 MAX operated by Ethiopian Airlines were killed. It was the same model as the plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, claiming the lives of the 189 people it carried.

Aviation regulator DGCA will seek information from Boeing as well as Jet Airways and SpiceJet operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the wake of the plane crash in Ethiopia, according to a senior official.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would seek information from plane maker Boeing and Indian carriers operating Boeing 737 MAX planes in India, according to the official.

Jet Airways and SpiceJet fly Boeing 737 MAX planes.

China's aviation regulator has also ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines.

It was the second crash of the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing's workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

For the second time in less than six months, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed minutes after takeoff and killed everyone on board, raising fresh questions about the safety of a model that is crucial to the US giant's future plans.

For the second time in less than six months, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 has crashed minutes after takeoff and killed everyone on board, raising fresh questions about the safety of a model that is crucial to the US giant's future plans. On Sunday, the 157 passengers and crew members of a 737 MAX operated by Ethiopian Airlines were killed. It was the same model as the plane that crashed in Indonesia in October, claiming the lives of the 189 people it carried. Aviation regulator DGCA will seek information from Boeing as well as Jet Airways and SpiceJet operating Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in the wake of the plane crash in Ethiopia, according to a senior official. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) would seek information from plane maker Boeing and Indian carriers operating Boeing 737 MAX planes in India, according to the official. Jet Airways and SpiceJet fly Boeing 737 MAX planes. China's aviation regulator has also ordered Chinese airlines to suspend their Boeing Co 737 MAX aircraft operations by 6 pm following a deadly crash of a 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines. It was the second crash of the 737 MAX, the latest version of Boeing's workhorse narrowbody jet that first entered service in 2017.

Jet Airways, SpiceJet to be questioned on Boeing B737 MAX planes after Ethiopian crash

Airlines in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets Monday as<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/black-box-from-crashed-ethiopian-airlines-flight-recovered-report-202611"> investigators recovered the black boxes</a> from a brand-new passenger jet that crashed outside Addis Ababa a day earlier, killing all 157 people on board.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ethiopian-airlines-crash-pilot-reported-difficulties-had-asked-to-return-202389">Nairobi-bound plane</a> -- the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- smashed into a field just six minutes after takeoff as the pilot alerted controllers of "difficulties".

Hopes were raised Monday of finding answers for the deaths of people from 35 countries, including two dozen UN staff, that prompted Ethiopia to declare a day of mourning.

"After tedious search by the rescue and investigation team... Ethiopian Airlines announces that the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of ET302 have been recovered," the state-owned carrier said in a statement, using the flight number.

The airline, Africa's largest, added it had grounded its fleet of six remaining Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes pending information "assumed to be found from the black box data."

This followed on the heels of China, which ordered domestic airlines to suspend the commercial operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. There were eight Chinese nationals among the 149 passengers and eight crew on board the ill-fated flight.

Indonesia, which has 11 of the planes, said it would "carry out inspections and temporarily prohibit Boeing 737 Max 8 from flying."

Boeing has described the MAX series as its fastest-selling airplane ever, with more than 5,000 orders placed to date from about 100 customers.&nbsp;

State-owned Ethiopian Airlines had ordered 30 MAX 8 jets in total, and China has received 76 from an order of 180.

The plane that crashed Sunday was less than four months old. It had been delivered on November 15, Ethiopian Airlines said.

Plane on fire

The jet fell near the village of Tulu Fara, some 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Addis Ababa.

Witness Tegegn Dechasa told AFP "the plane was already on fire when it crashed to the ground. The crash caused a big explosion."

Another, farmer Sisay Gemechu, said: "The plane seemed to be aiming to land at a nearby level open field, but crashed before reaching there."

As inhabitants of the remote part of Ethiopia looked on from behind a security cordon, inspectors pursued their search for plane debris, passenger belongings and human remains Monday.

The single-aisle Boeing left a deep, black crater at the impact site, which was being dug up with a mechanical excavator.

As Ethiopia prepared to receive loved ones seeking victims' remains and belongings, a UN gathering in Nairobi opened under a shadow.

At least 22 staff from different UN agencies were on the flight, many headed for an annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme.

Delegates arrived with the UN flag flying at half-mast, hugging and comforting one another as they wondered who among the staff may have been on the plane.

Nairobi hosts the global headquarters of UNEP and UN-Habitat, and is the regional seat of other UN agencies.

"Let us reflect that our colleagues were willing to travel and to work far from their homes and loved ones to make the world a better place to live," UN-Habitat head Maimunah Sharif told some of those gathered.

Author, student, humanitarians

Pope Francis added his voice Monday to the global outpouring of condolences from the UN, Western and African leaders, offering "prayers".

Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot was given clearance to turn around after flagging difficulties to airport authorities before the plane disappeared from radar.

Carrier flydubai said Monday it would not ground its MAX 8 Boeings, with a spokesperson saying: "We remain confident in the airworthiness of our fleet."

South Korea said it had sent a team of four inspectors to a low-budget airliner, Eastar Jet, that runs two B737 MAX 8 planes, and Royal Air Maroc said its sole MAX 8 was undergoing maintenance.

A committee comprising Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and Ethiopian Transport Authority was set up to led the investigation, in which American experts will also take part.

Details of the passengers, including tourists, business travellers and humanitarians, have started to emerge.

Among them was Cedric Asiavugwa, a Kenyan third-year student at Georgetown University Law School in Washington, visiting home ahead of his graduation in the spring, he university said.

Kenya had the highest death toll with 32, according to the airline.

Canada followed with 18 victims, including Nigerian-born author Pius Adesanmi, who directed the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University.

Nine Ethiopians were among the victims, with eight each from Italy and the United States. The airline said Britain and France each had seven people on board, Egypt six, and Germany five.

France, however, put its death toll at nine.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg early Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "despatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged, before taking off again.&nbsp;

Airlines in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets Monday as investigators recovered the black boxes from a brand-new passenger jet that crashed outside Addis Ababa a day earlier, killing all 157 people on board.

Airlines in Ethiopia, China and Indonesia grounded Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets Monday as investigators recovered the black boxes from a brand-new passenger jet that crashed outside Addis Ababa a day earlier, killing all 157 people on board. The Nairobi-bound plane -- the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- smashed into a field just six minutes after takeoff as the pilot alerted controllers of "difficulties". Hopes were raised Monday of finding answers for the deaths of people from 35 countries, including two dozen UN staff, that prompted Ethiopia to declare a day of mourning. "After tedious search by the rescue and investigation team... Ethiopian Airlines announces that the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of ET302 have been recovered," the state-owned carrier said in a statement, using the flight number. The airline, Africa's largest, added it had grounded its fleet of six remaining Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes pending information "assumed to be found from the black box data." This followed on the heels of China, which ordered domestic airlines to suspend the commercial operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8. There were eight Chinese nationals among the 149 passengers and eight crew on board the ill-fated flight. Indonesia, which has 11 of the planes, said it would "carry out inspections and temporarily prohibit Boeing 737 Max 8 from flying." Boeing has described the MAX series as its fastest-selling airplane ever, with more than 5,000 orders placed to date from about 100 customers. State-owned Ethiopian Airlines had ordered 30 MAX 8 jets in total, and China has received 76 from an order of 180. The plane that crashed Sunday was less than four months old. It had been delivered on November 15, Ethiopian Airlines said. Plane on fire The jet fell near the village of Tulu Fara, some 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of Addis Ababa. Witness Tegegn Dechasa told AFP "the plane was already on fire when it crashed to the ground. The crash caused a big explosion." Another, farmer Sisay Gemechu, said: "The plane seemed to be aiming to land at a nearby level open field, but crashed before reaching there." As inhabitants of the remote part of Ethiopia looked on from behind a security cordon, inspectors pursued their search for plane debris, passenger belongings and human remains Monday. The single-aisle Boeing left a deep, black crater at the impact site, which was being dug up with a mechanical excavator. As Ethiopia prepared to receive loved ones seeking victims' remains and belongings, a UN gathering in Nairobi opened under a shadow. At least 22 staff from different UN agencies were on the flight, many headed for an annual assembly of the UN Environment Programme. Delegates arrived with the UN flag flying at half-mast, hugging and comforting one another as they wondered who among the staff may have been on the plane. Nairobi hosts the global headquarters of UNEP and UN-Habitat, and is the regional seat of other UN agencies. "Let us reflect that our colleagues were willing to travel and to work far from their homes and loved ones to make the world a better place to live," UN-Habitat head Maimunah Sharif told some of those gathered. Author, student, humanitarians Pope Francis added his voice Monday to the global outpouring of condolences from the UN, Western and African leaders, offering "prayers". Ethiopian Airlines said the pilot was given clearance to turn around after flagging difficulties to airport authorities before the plane disappeared from radar. Carrier flydubai said Monday it would not ground its MAX 8 Boeings, with a spokesperson saying: "We remain confident in the airworthiness of our fleet." South Korea said it had sent a team of four inspectors to a low-budget airliner, Eastar Jet, that runs two B737 MAX 8 planes, and Royal Air Maroc said its sole MAX 8 was undergoing maintenance. A committee comprising Ethiopian Airlines, Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority and Ethiopian Transport Authority was set up to led the investigation, in which American experts will also take part. Details of the passengers, including tourists, business travellers and humanitarians, have started to emerge. Among them was Cedric Asiavugwa, a Kenyan third-year student at Georgetown University Law School in Washington, visiting home ahead of his graduation in the spring, he university said. Kenya had the highest death toll with 32, according to the airline. Canada followed with 18 victims, including Nigerian-born author Pius Adesanmi, who directed the Institute of African Studies at Carleton University. Nine Ethiopians were among the victims, with eight each from Italy and the United States. The airline said Britain and France each had seven people on board, Egypt six, and Germany five. France, however, put its death toll at nine. Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam said the plane had flown in from Johannesburg early Sunday, spent three hours in Addis and was "despatched with no remark", meaning no problems were flagged, before taking off again.

Ethiopian plane crash: Investigators recover black boxes from Boeing 737 MAX 8

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Ethiopian plane crash: Investigators recover black boxes from Boeing 737 MAX 8