THUNDER BAY – NEWS – The fallout from the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 is continuing. The Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft has been grounding by many aviation safety agencies or banned from flying in the airspace of a growing number of countries.
This is already impacting Air Canada as flights to Britain with the Boeing 737 MAX 8 have already been cancelled.
Norwegian, GOL Linhas Aereas, Ethiopian Airlines, Aeromexico, Cayman Airways, Comair, Eastar Jet, Aerolíneas Argentinas and all Indonesian airlines have currently grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.
In Canada, Transport Minister Garneau says that he believes Canada’s strict inspection and standards do not require grounding the aircraft.
Across Canada the Boeing 737 Max 8 is fairly popular. Air Canada has twenty-four, WestJet flies thirteen and Sunwing has four of the Boeing aircraft.
On March 10, 2019 Boeing issued a statement saying that the company “Is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX 8 airplane. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team. A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.”
On March 12, Boeing states: Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX. We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets. We’ll continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets. The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators.
The flight suspension is impacting global aviation.
Following the tragic accident of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 involving a Boeing 737 MAX 8, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of passengers.
As a precautionary measure, EASA has published today an Airworthiness Directive, effective as of 19:00 UTC, suspending all flight operations of all Boeing Model 737-8 MAX and 737-9 MAX aeroplanes in Europe. In addition, EASA has published a Safety Directive, effective as of 19:00 UTC, suspending all commercial flights performed by third-country operators into, within or out of the EU of the above-mentioned models.
The accident investigation is led by the Ethiopian Authorities with the support of the National Transportation Safety Board, as the aircraft was designed and built in the United States. EASA has offered their assistance in supporting the accident investigation.
EASA is continuously analyzing the data as it becomes available. The accident investigation is currently ongoing, and it is too early to draw any conclusions as to the cause of the accident.
#Boeing737MAX planes will be grounded till appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations: Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Read more: https://t.co/pvqTrglwNL pic.twitter.com/fggELdDB2c
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) March 12, 2019
