In the United States, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines have 59 between their two fleets, with 304 on order. Southwest said it has been in touch with Boeing and plans to follow the investigation. It had not made any changes to its operations or inspection protocol as of Sunday, the airline said. American Airlines said it was monitoring the investigation but remained confident in the safety of its aircraft.<doc-sep>The uncertainty over the cause of the latest crash has put Boeing on the defensive. The 737 Max is the company’s best-selling jet ever, and it is expected to be a major driver of profits in the future. Around 5,000 of the planes are on order, with a list price of $120 million for the Max 8 version. Shares of the company fell 5 percent on Monday, as pressure mounted from various corners. The Association of Flight Attendants sent a letter to the F.A.A. on Monday calling for a review of the 737 Max. “We need help from the regulators when the entire world is looking at two catastrophic incidents that happened on the same aircraft type within five months of each other,” said Sara Nelson, the president of the flight attendants’ union. “Our system is so safe that these things don’t happen today. That is why people are questioning what is going on here.” Pilots also raised questions about the safety of the plane. “We’re very concerned about why two brand-new aircraft suddenly pitched over and nosed into the ground,” said Rory Kay, a former top safety official at the world’s largest pilot union and a senior pilot and pilot trainer at a major United States airline. “This is not the dawn of aviation. We’ve evolved, planes have evolved.” Dennis Tajer, a spokesman for the American Airlines pilot union and a 737 pilot, said that the Lion Air crash hurt the reputation of the 737 Max in the eyes of some of his members and that the Ethiopian accident had prompted new questions from them. “I think there needs to be further review into the certification process” for the aircraft, Mr. Tajer said. “Everybody should be looking at this.” In Washington, two senators, Dianne Feinstein of California and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, went a step further, calling on the F.A.A. to ground all Boeing 737 Max 8s until the investigation into the Ethiopia crash was complete. Some passengers tried to rebook their flights to avoid a 737 Max 8. Carriers that hadn’t grounded the plane sought to reassure customers, providing information about the jet’s safety.<doc-sep>Update: On Tuesday, Britain, Australia, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and Oman banned all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes from their airspaces. Read more live coverage on the crash and its aftermath here. The Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people on Sunday has rattled travelers around the world. Just six months ago, the same model of airplane — a Boeing 737 Max 8, operated by Lion Air — crashed off Indonesia and killed all 189 onboard. While the cause of Sunday’s tragedy remains undetermined, and the investigation into the Lion Air accident is ongoing, several circumstances of these two crashes are similar. The 200-seat Boeing 737 Max 8 has been a popular plane since it came on the market in 2017, with more than 4,000 planes ordered within the first six months. The plane sold quickly based on features that passengers crave — a quieter cabin, more legroom — and bottom-line benefits to airlines, like fuel efficiencies. The plane’s entry into the market seemed like the rare win-win for both passengers and airlines. At the time of the Ethiopian Airlines crash, nearly 350 Boeing 737 Max 8s were in operation around the world, including in the United States, on routes across the country: Miami to Los Angeles, Houston to Denver, San Francisco to Portland.<doc-sep>SpiceJet said that it is operating all 13 of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes. Highlights Watchdog to seek details from Indian airlines using Boeing 737 MAX 8 Jet Airways, SpiceJet operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet of Ethiopian Airlines crashed on Sunday, 157 killed India's aviation watchdog DGCA is expected to examine concerns about the use of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday, according to a senior official. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is likely to speak to both Boeing and airlines like Jet Airways and SpiceJet, which operate the latest variant of Boeing's best selling jetliner. A Boeing 737 MAX plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed soon after take-off from Addis Ababa around 8.30 am on Sunday morning, killing all 157 on board. Four Indians were among the passengers killed. The cause of the crash is still not clear. Reports suggest the Ethiopian jetliner appeared to climb and dive shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa; it crashed just 6 minutes later. People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa. (Reuters) China's aviation authorities have grounded their Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets after the crash. Jet Airways and SpiceJet are the two Indian carriers that operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. SpiceJet told NDTV that it is operating all 13 of its MAX 8 planes. Jet Airways is yet to come out with a statement. Boeing said on Monday the investigation into the Ethiopian Airlines crash is in its early stages and there is no need to issue new guidance to operators of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft based on the information it has so far. "Safety is our number one priority and we are taking every measure to fully understand all aspects of this accident, working closely with the investigating team and all regulatory authorities involved," a Boeing spokesman said in a statement emailed to Reuters. This is the second disaster involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in the last few months. In October, a Lion Air plane crashed into the sea off the Indonesian capital of Jakarta 13 minutes after take-off, killing all 189 onboard. Jet Airways and SpiceJet are the two Indian carriers that operate the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft The 737 MAX 8 is a new model from the US aircraft manufacturer's best-selling 737, which has been operating since 1967. More than 350 Boeing 737-MAX planes have been delivered and more than 5,000 have been ordered worldwide since 2017. Boeing has been criticised for not informing airlines in detail about how to override problematic software on the flight control system of the 737 MAX aircraft. The new software is part of an automatic system designed to ensure that the aircraft does not stall; in other words, lose it ability to remain flying. Boeing was quoted by reports as saying that the 737 MAX 8 was "as safe as any airplane that has ever flown the skies." (With inputs from PTI and AFP)<doc-sep>
U.S. airlines tried to assure nervous customers Monday that the Boeing 737 MAX jets they fly are safe, a day after one of the new jets operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed outside of Addis Ababa and killed all 157 people on board. Accident investigators from Ethiopia and the U.S. are looking for clues as to what brought down the flight and analysts have cautioned that it's too early to know the cause. Investigators have recovered the so-called black boxes, which contain data showing the flight's movements and cockpit voice recordings. U.S. federal aviation officials on Monday said they still consider the Boeing 737 MAX planes airworthy. "External reports are drawing similarities between this accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident on October 29, 2018," the Federal Aviation Administration said in its notice. "However, this investigation has just begun and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions." The crash has sparked concern among some lawmakers, flight attendants and members of the public, who asked airlines on social media whether these planes are safe and in some cases, whether they can switch their flights. "We have not relaxed our fare rules or restrictions at this point," said Southwest Airlines spokesman Chris Mainz. Southwest had 34 of Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in its fleet of about 750 as of the end of last year and remains "confident in the safety and airworthiness" of its aircraft, the carrier said in a statement. Southwest doesn't charge flight change fees like other airlines but passengers flying on different days and flights will have to pay a difference in fare. tweet American Airlines issued a similar statement and said it had full confidence in its planes and crew members. The airline has 14 of the Boeing 737 MAX 8s in its fleet and has not altered its ticket change polices as of Monday morning. tweet Some cabin crew members have expressed concerns about the crash. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines including United, said it was formally requesting that the Federal Aviation Administration investigate the plane. United operates a larger model of the Boeing 737 MAX. tweet "While it is important that we not draw conclusions without all of the facts, in the wake of a second accident, regulators, manufacturers and airlines must take steps to address concerns immediately," said the AFA's international president, Sara Nelson.