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Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 15:12
HK, Macao join worldwide ban on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft
By Xinhua
Wednesday, March 13, 2019, 15:12 By Xinhua

This photo taken on May 16, 2011 shows airplanes parted at the apron of the Hong Kong International Airport. (PHOTO / HKSAR GOVERNMENT)

HONG KONG/MACAO – Authorities from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions have decided to suspend Boeing 737 aircraft following Sunday's fatal crash of an Ethiopia Airlines flight that killed all 157 people on board.

The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of the Hong Kong government announced on Wednesday the operation of all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, out of and over the city will be temporarily prohibited from 6:00 pm local time Wednesday.

"The CAD has been closely monitoring the developments, the investigation progress and the information from relevant aviation authorities. Having regard to the latest situation, the CAD has decided to temporarily prohibit operation of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft into, out of and over Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CAD said.

The ban will continue until further notice.

The temporary prohibition will take effect at 6 pm Hong Kong time on March 13 and continue until further notice  

Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department spokesman

The spokesman pointed out that there were two serious accidents involving Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in less than five months.

"The temporary prohibition is solely a precautionary measure to ensure aviation safety and protect the public," he said.

The announcement came as authorities and carriers worldwide decided to ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes over concerns about the model's reliability following Sunday’s  Ethiopia Airlines crash.

It was the second deadly crash involving the same model of the Boeing plane within five months. All 189 aboard an Indonesian Lion Air jet  were killed when it plunged into the ocean in October.

The CAD has noted that the US Federation Aviation Administration (FAA) , the type-certification authority of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, has affirmed the airworthiness of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, and the investigation into the accidents is ongoing, he said.

ALSO READ: HK man among 8 Chinese killed in Ethiopia plane crash

The spokesman added that over the past few days the CAD has been in close contact with the FAA and the relevant organizations, including the two airline companies which use Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to operate flights into and out of Hong Kong International Airport.

The two airliner companies, SpiceJet of India and Globus Airlines of Russia, have been notified by the CAD of the temporary prohibition and said they would fully cooperate and maintain their services with other aircraft types so as to reduce impacts on passengers.

READ MORE: Boeing promises upgrade as more countries ground fleets

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao said it will temporarily suspend the flight applications of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft by any airlines.

Currently, aircraft registered in Macao do not include the Boeing 737 MAX model. Nor are there any operations of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by any airlines in Macao International Airport, it said.

The authority has always taken a strict manner in ensuring that the operations in Macao's air transport market are safe and would lift the suspension only when the safety concerns of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft are cleared, it added.

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