Boeing 737 Max aircraft banned from Malta’s skies

Boeing 737 Max aircraft have been banned from flying in Maltese airspace over safety concerns.

The decision to ground model 737-8 MAX and 737-9 MAX aircraft was taken following the Ethiopia Airlines crash on Sunday in which 157 people died.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it had issues the directive across the EU ‘as a precautionary measure’.

It added it was ‘taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of passengers’.

Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Ireland all banned the planes from their airspace on Tuesday.

Authorities in Australia, India, South Korea, Singapore, China and Indonesia have also grounded the aircraft.

However, Boeing continued to claim its planes are safe to fly.

The company said in a statement: ‘Safety is Boeing’s number one priority and we have full confidence in the safety of the MAX.

‘We understand that regulatory agencies and customers have made decisions that they believe are most appropriate for their home markets.

‘It is also important to note that the US 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.’

Boeing’s stock has fallen 11% this week.

Statement: Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority has issued instructions to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace.

You can read the full update online: https://t.co/xa1BUR7wJk pic.twitter.com/AsmhLElF0K

— UK Civil Aviation Authority (@UK_CAA) March 12, 2019