Singapore and Australia have barred the entry and exit of Boing 737 Max aircrafts on their airspace, following the deadly crash of the similar model, operated by Ethiopian Airlines, on Sunday, March 10, 2019, which killed all the 149 passengers and 8 crew members.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) issued a media statement, which said, “We are temporarily suspending operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore in light of two fatal accidents involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in less than five months.”
It also mentioned, “During the temporary suspension, CAAS will gather more information and review the safety risk associated with the continued operation of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into and out of Singapore. The suspension will be reviewed as relevant safety information becomes available.”
Later, CEO of Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Australia – Shane Carmod said, “This is a temporary suspension while we wait for more information to review the safety risks of continued operations of the Boeing 737 MAX to and from Australia.”
For the records, Singapore’s Changi Airport is the world’s 6th most busy airport and a major hub which connects Asia to Europe and the United States (U.S).
Singapore’s suspension includes both the Max 8 and 9 variants and affects foreign carriers that deploy the concerned aircraft. The affected airlines in Singapore include SilkAir, China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air.
Prior to this on Monday, March 11, 2019, Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) has ordered all the domestic carriers to stop flying all Boing 737 Max-8 Aircrafts.
The Sunday crash of Ethiopian Airlines came just 5 months after the Lion Air Jet crash of the same model in Indonesia, which killed 189 people.
What others are doing?
Besides, Indonesia has also said that it is also grounding its 11 jets of the same model. Similarly, GOL Airlines in Brazil, Argentina’s Aerolineas Argentinas and Mexico’s Aeromexico have also banned the said aircraft. 5 aircrafts owned by Jet Airways in India have also been suspended. Moreover, Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc, British Airways’ South African franchisee – Comair, MIAT Mongolian Airlines and South Korea’s Eastar Jet have also joined the list of countries suspending the much risky aircraft.
U.S. regulator demands modification of Max series
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered Boeing to immediately modify and make the necessary changes in its 737 Max 8 and 9 models. This scope of improvements also includes improvements in anti-stalling software and the manoeuvring system.
The company has time till April 2019. Post that, aviation experts from FAA will review the much-questioned models of Boeing.
The FFA, in a press note, said, “If we identify an issue that affects safety, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action.”
Boeing’s Response
Responding to FAA’s directive, the Boeing has confirmed it will deploy a software upgrade to the 737 Max – 8 models.
Besides, without giving the Sunday’s crash reference, The CEO of Boeing – Dennis Muilenburg said, “We are confident in the safety of the 737 MAX and in the work of the men and women who design and build it.”
