List of Nations That Have Grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 8 Fleet

In reaction to the March 10 Ethiopian Airline crash that killed 157 people, a number of countries have grounded medium-haul workhorse jet.

The Ethiopian aircraft that was flying to Nairobi killed a majority 32 Kenyans among other Nationals and was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October.

The Indonesian Lion Air jet killed 189 people, both passengers and crew and similarities in the two crashes have already been detected causing a global concern which has prompted nations and airlines to ground the Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

There are about 350 planes of the 737 MAX 8 currently in service around the world and while some countries and airlines have opted to ground the planes, others continue to fly the aircraft.

The aircraft is currently under investigation and as the World awaits possible guidance from Boeing, below is a list of countries that have decided to take precaution and ground the Boeing 737 MAX 8

Singapore

Singapore’s aviation regulator on Tuesday suspended flights of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore. The suspension took effective 2 pm on Tuesday and grounded six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

SilkAir of Singapore Airlines had earlier said, on Monday, that its 737 MAX 8 planes were to continue operating as scheduled, as it is monitored developments of the Ethiopian crash.

Malaysia

The Malaysia aviation authority, Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) informed that none of the Malaysian carriers operated the Boeing 737 MAX 8.

CAAM informed that operations by the Boeing 737 MAX 8 had been suspended in the country and the aircraft was not allowed to fly in or out of Malaysia or even transit in Malaysia until further notice.

China

China, the largest consumer of the US aircraft company, of Boeing 737 MAX, was the first country to ground the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on Monday when Beijing ordered domestic airlines to suspend the end commercial operation of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, following the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration noted similarities in the two accidents and called for the suspension until investigations into the model were out.

China is a hugely important market for them, accounting for about one-fifth of worldwide deliveries models.

Indonesia

Indonesia called for the grounding of its 11jets of the 737 MAX 8 type after the Ethiopian crash. Indonesia had experienced a much worse crash by a Boeing plane of the same model in October where 189 people died.

The aircraft, according to the Director General of air transport, Polana Pramesti, would be inspected by the safety regulators and would await clearance.

South Korea

South Korea which has two Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes has also grounded them. The two Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes which are operated by the country’s budget airline will also await a pending inspection to determine their safety.

Mongolia

The Mongolian Civil Aviation Authority notified the World, through its Facebook page, that it had ordered the state carrier to ground its one Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Ethiopia

Ethiopian Airlines which is Africa’s largest also grounded its fleet of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 on Monday, hours after the Sunday crash.

“Following the tragic accident of ET 302 … Ethiopian Airlines has decided to ground all B-737-8 MAX fleet … until further notice,” said the state-owned carrier adding that they were however yet to establish the cause of the accident.

South Africa

South Africa’s Comair informed that it had “decided to remove its 737 MAX from its flight schedule” while Cayman Airways followed suit by suspending operations for its two 737 MAX 8 planes till more information would be received.

BRAZIL’S GOL

Gol was among the first airlines to suspend commercial operations by the seven Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

In a statement released by the Brazilian airline on March 10, the airline announced that it was temporarily suspending commercial operations for its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Gol, however, noted that the model’s flight record had displayed 2,933 journeys since its introduction in June 2018 “with total security and efficiency”.

Aeromexico

Mexican airline Aeromexico suspended the operation of six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft pending results of the investigation into Sunday’s crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane.

Aeromexico noted that flights scheduled for the Boeing 737 MAX 8 would be covered by the rest of the fleet.

List of 10 Countries that have grounded the Boeing 737 MAX 8

1. Asian Countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia, South Korea, Mongolia, India, Kuwait, Oman, Turkey, and Cyprus
2. African countries such as Ethiopia, South Africa, and Egypt
3. European Countries such as Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Serbia, Norway, and UK.
4. American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico
5. Australia and New Zealand

List of Countries that Continue to fly the Boeing 737 MAX 8

Countries have remained divided on the issue of grounding the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and a number of countries have stated their confidence in the model of the aircraft and continue to fly despite the two disastrous crashes that have occurred in a span of months.

1. United States
2. Russia
3. Turkey
4. Italy
5. Iceland
6. Norway
7. Dubai
8. Oman
9. Australia
10. Argentina
11. United Kingdom
12. Germany
13. France
14. Ireland
15. Austria
16. Netherlands

Related Content

• List of Nationals Dead in the Ethiopian Airline Crash
• China Grounds All Boeing 737 Max 8 Aircraft in the Wake of Ethiopian Crash