After Ethiopian Airlines crash, China grounds Boeing 737 MAX planes

The Civil Aviation Administration of China, the country's aviation regulator, announced on Monday that it ordered all Chinese airlines to stop using Boeing 737 MAX aircrafts in the wake of Sunday's deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash.

Flight 302 was headed for Nairobi when it crashed shortly after taking off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa; all 157 passengers and crew members were killed. Chinese airlines have 96 737 MAX jets in service, Reuters reports, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China said it wants to speak with Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration before telling the airlines they can start flying the planes again.

The 737 MAX first went into service in 2017, and the Ethiopian Airlines plane was brand new, delivered in 2018. In November, a Lion Air 737 MAX crashed 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, killing 189 people on board. The cause is still being investigated.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up