The China Aviation Authority has directed local airlines to ground their Boeing 737 Max-8 jets after yesterday's crash involving an Ethiopian plane.
Reports on Reuters indicate that China’s aviation regulator directed that Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft operations be suspended as from 6 p.m. (5.00 a.m. ET).
In the statement, the regulator noted that airlines would be notified as to when they could resume flying the jets after contacting Boeing and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure flight safety.
“Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity,” the authority said, adding that the order was in line with its principle of zero-tolerance on safety hazards. The 737 Max-8 is sometimes referred to as the 737-8.
Reacting to the announcement, Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina noted that the suspension could cause unnecessary alarm.
"I know this is the second Boeing 737 Max-8 that has gone down, but I think that is a reaction that could cause a lot of panic," he said.
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei on his part, noted that "I think it will be wise to ground these planes (Boeing 737 Max-8) until investigations are done and Kenya Airways should be very keen with such developments."
The two leaders made the comments during an interview on Citizen TV on Monday morning.