India grounds Boeing 737 Max planes following Ethiopian plane crash

In a pre-emptive move, the Indian government on Tuesday grounded all Boeing 737 Max planes. This comes days after an Ethiopian Airlines jet Boeing 737 crashed minutes shortly after take-off from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, killing all eight crew and 149 passengers on board.

Notably, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) decided to ground the Boeing planes until appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations. It is worth mentioning here that SpiceJet Ltd and Jet Airways (India) Ltd operate Boeing 737 Max planes in India.

In a series of tweet, the civil aviation ministry said that passenger safety remains our top priority and are consulting with regulators around the world. Take a look:

As always, passenger safety remains our top priority. We continue to consult closely with regulators around the world, airlines, and aircraft manufacturers to ensure passenger safety. (2/2)

— Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) March 12, 2019

DGCA has taken the decision to ground the Boeing 737-MAX planes immediately. These planes will be grounded till appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations. (1/2)

— Ministry of Civil Aviation (@MoCA_GoI) March 12, 2019

In the meantime, a SpiceJet spokesperson issued a statement and said, “SpiceJet has suspended Boeing 737 Max operations following DGCA’s decision to ground the aircraft.” “Safety and security of our passengers, crew and operations are of utmost importance to us… We will be working with the regulator and the manufacturer to attain normalcy in our operations,” the spokesperson added.

Interestingly, not only India but several countries—from those in the European Union to Australia— banned the Boeing 737 Max planes as a pre-emptive measure. Also, countries like Singapore, China, Australia and Malaysia grounded the Boeing 737 Max planes. Several airlines too decided to ground the aircraft.

Also Read: Ethiopia Plane Crash: UN Consultant Shikha Garg Among 157 Killed