FILE PHOTO: Candle flames burn during a commemoration ceremony for the victims at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town Bishoftu, near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo ReutersBy Jason NeelyADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - The chief executive of Ethiopian Airlines has rejected media reports that optional equipment for Boeing 737 MAX planes was critical for safety aboard a flight that crashed this month. OPTIONAL ITEMSEthiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam said it was important not to confuse safety-critical equipment with optional items. They have been flying Boeing planes since 1962 and have four MAX 8 jets, with another 25 worth some $3 billion on order. GARUDAGaruda has written to Boeing asking to cancel its order for 49 737 MAX 8 planes, CFO Fuad Rizal said on Friday.

Source: Ethiopian News March 24, 2019 10:18 UTC