Nearly 40% of the in-service fleet of 371 Boeing 737 Max jets globally have been grounded, according to industry publication Flightglobal, including 97 jets in the biggest market, China. But in statements on Tuesday, the civil aviation authorities in Australia and Singapore said they were issuing temporary suspensions of all 737 Max planes while they waited for more information on the Ethiopia crash. The Singapore suspension affects SilkAir, an arm of Singapore Airlines, as well as China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air. Australia’s move affects only Singapore Airlines Ltd’s Silk Air and Fiji Airways, as no Australian carriers use the model. Boeing’s top executive told employees on Monday he was confident in the safety of the 737 Max, its top-selling aircraft.

Source: The Guardian March 11, 2019 20:08 UTC