The reports in various state-run media that China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China would seek payouts from the American aerospace giant come against the backdrop of an escalating US-China trade war. Spokespersons for China Southern and Air China could not immediately be reached for comment. The day before, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max crashed minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa, killing all 157 people on board, including eight from China. That followed the October crash of a Lion Air 737 Max, which went down shortly after take-off from Jakarta, killing all 189 people on board. Boeing acknowledged Saturday it had to correct flaws in its 737 Max flight simulator software used to train pilots.

Source: Ethiopian News May 22, 2019 14:03 UTC