The U.K. is banning Boeing 737 MAX commercial flights from operating in U.K. airspace, as a “precautionary measure,” the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority announced Tuesday morning.
Civil Aviation Authority has announced it will ban the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft from UK airspace “as a precautionary measure” following the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash on Sunday which killed all 157 people on board
— Sky News Breaking (@SkyNewsBreak) March 12, 2019
The decision comes days after a 737 MAX 8 airplane crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 passengers on board. The U.K. joins four other countries, including China, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia in banning the Boeing 737 MAX series. (RELATED: 8 Americans Die In Plane Crash That Has China Grounding Planes)
The tragedy in Ethiopia comes just six months after the same model crashed in Indonesia last year, killing all 189 passengers aboard the Lion Air flight.
Boeing is reportedly standing by its aircraft and has no further guidance to offer operators.
#BREAKING – New statement from Boeing. It says it has “Full confidence in the safety of the MAX” pic.twitter.com/3mhrC6Tec8
— Richard Southern (@richard680news) March 12, 2019
Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney called on the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 flights while an investigation ensues. (RELATED: Madeleine Albright Apologizes To Mitt Romney For Mocking Russia Warnings During 2012 Campaign)
“Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the [FAA] should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of recent crashes and ensure the plane’s airworthiness,” Romney said on Twitter.
Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the @FAANews should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of recent crashes and ensure the plane’s airworthiness.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 12, 2019
In a notification to the international community, the FAA said Monday that they had no plans to ground said flights.
“External reports are drawing similarities between this accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident on October 29, 2018,” they said. “However, this investigation has just begun and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions.”