Ethiopian Airlines announced the temporary suspension of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft on Monday, citing safety concerns following a fatal crash on March 10 that killed all 157 passengers and crew aboard a plane of the same model.
The airline stated, "Although we don’t yet know the cause of the crash, we had to decide to ground the particular fleet as extra safety precaution." This decision follows China’s directive requiring its carriers to halt 737 MAX 8 operations by 6 p.m. local time on the same day.
Flight tracking data indicates Ethiopian Airlines operates four 737 MAX 8 jets, excluding the aircraft involved in the March 10 crash. The incident marks the second 737 MAX 8 disaster in less than five months, following an October crash involving Indonesia’s Lion Air.
