The Federal Aviation Administration has told international carriers that the Boeing 737 Max 8 is airworthy, but that has not stopped several airlines grounding the plane pending further investigations of the cause of Sunday’s crash.
The US air regulator will mandate forthcoming design changes to the Boeing 737 Max 8 following the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday that killed all 157 people on board.
The Federal Aviation Administration has told international carriers that the Boeing 737 Max 8 is airworthy, but that has not stopped several airlines grounding the plane pending further investigations of the cause of Sunday’s crash.
The new model of aircraft has been involved in two fatal crashes since October, raising fears among airlines and passengers about its safety.
The Guardian said alarm over the safety of the Boeing 737 Max 8 is leading to passengers demanding the right to know which type of aircraft they will be taking – and the right to cancel based on that.
Brazil’s biggest airlines, GOL, said it would temporarily ground its seven Max 8 jets, echoing similar moves by Singapore, Indonesia, China and South Korea.
Singapore’s suspension took effect from 2pm on Tuesday (March 12), said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS).
SilkAir, the regional arm of Singapore Airlines, operates six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft and will be affected by the temporary suspension.
GOL said it had confidence in Boeing and that its Max 8 aircraft had made 2,933 flights, totalling more than 12,700 hours, “in total safety and efficiency”.
In a notice, the FAA said it planned to require design changes by Boeing no later than April. Boeing is working to complete “flight control system enhancements, which provide reduced reliance on procedures associated with required pilot memory items”, the FAA said.
The FAA also said Boeing “plans to update training requirements and flight crew manuals to go with the design change” to an automated protection system.
The FAA said in the notice that external reports were drawing similarities between the crash in Ethiopia and the earlier fatal crash off the coast of Indonesia that killed all 189 onboard.
Like the previous accident, which involved a Lion Air flight that crashed 13 minutes after takeoff, pilots had reported problems with the plane and requested permission to make an emergency landing before losing contact with ground control.
Investigators in Ethiopia have found the Ethiopian Airlines’ 737 Max 8 cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder but it will be a while before the findings are made public.