Boeing 737 MAX-8
Boeing 737 MAX roll-out in December 2015 with the first 737 MAX-8. Credit: Aka The Beav from Seattle, Washington.

China and a number of other countries such as Indonesia and Ethiopia have suspended the use of Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft, following a deadly crash in Ethiopia.

Flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed barely minutes after take-off, killing all 157 people on board.

This is the second time a Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft is involved in a tragedy. Last October, a Lion Air-operated 737 MAX-8 crashed into the sea moments after taking off from Jakarta Airport. All 189 passengers were killed in the accident.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their 737 MAX-8 planes until further notification.

The regulator stated that the order was in line with its zero-tolerance policy on safety hazards and that it would notify the airlines on lifting the temporary ban after consultation with Boeing and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity.”

CAAC was quoted by media sources as saying: “Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity.”

According to Reuters, Chinese airlines operate more than a quarter of the global fleet of the aircraft.

In the aftermath of the accident, Ethiopian Airlines has grounded the remaining 737 MAX-8 aircraft in its fleet.

Cayman Islands’ flag carrier airline Cayman Airways has also suspended the operations of its two new 737 Max 8 aircraft until the outcome of an investigation into the crash in Ethiopia.

Meanwhile, India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is expected to issue an advisory to airlines operating the aircraft. Jet Airways and budget carrier SpiceJet operate the aircraft in the country.

Boeing issued a statement that it would send a technical team to the crash site to provide technical assistance to the investigators.

An investigation is underway and the cause of the accident remains unclear. Ethiopian Airlines has announced that the digital flight data recorder (DFDR) and cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the flight have been recovered.

Data from the black box is expected to provide crucial details of the last moments of the flight and enable the investigators to ascertain the cause.