EASA has joined the list of multiple aviation regulatory authorities and suspended all the operations of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft in Europe. The suspension came into effect at 7 PM UTC 12 March, 2019.

Also, EASA issued a Safety Directive ”suspending all commercial flights performed by third-country operators into, within or out of the EU of the above mentioned models”.

This is a precautionary measure the agency took to ensure safety of passengers following the tragic crash of Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The investigation of the crash which took the lives of 157 people is still underway and no conclusions are reported.

Operations of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft were also suspended by the aviation authorities in China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Ethiopia.

Boeing 737 MAX planes were also grounded by the following airlines: Aeromexico, Aerolineas Argentinas, Cayman Airways, Comair Airways, Eastar Jet.

Boeing is Confident in Safety of MAX

In the light of a number of countries and airlines grounding 737 MAX fleet, on 12 March, 2019, Boeing reacted to the situation and released a statement:

”Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX.

We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets. We’ll continue to engage with them to ensure they have the information needed to have confidence in operating their fleets.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration is not mandating any further action at this time, and based on the information currently available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators”.