Airlines and countries that have so far banned Boeing 737 MAX from airspace

Egypt said Wednesday it would bar all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from its airspace following a weekend plane crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people.

The aviation ministry said it was banning the model from "taking off and landing" at Egyptian airports or "passing through" its airspace.

"The civil aviation authority took this necessary precaution to ensure the safety of passengers," it said in a statement.

Six Egyptians were among those who died on Sunday when a new Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8 went down minutes into a flight from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, killing all those on board.

Egypt's foreign ministry is liaising with Ethiopian authorities to repatriate the bodies.

Its ban on the aircraft follows a string of similar measures by countries including Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the EU's aviation agency.

Other countries including Serbia and New Zealand also banned 737 MAX flights on Wednesday.

The United States has so far resisted following suit.

Egyptian airports received some 30 million passengers in 2017, according to official figures published in January this year.

The ministry said national carrier Egypt Air has no Boeing 737 MAX aircraft among its fleet and no plans to purchase any.

More than 370 aircraft of the model are in service around the world, with nearly 5,000 on order.

Argentina

Argentina's flagship carrier has joined airlines that have grounded their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes after the crash in Ethiopia.

Aerolineas Argentinas said late Monday it had ordered the suspension as it awaited the result of investigations into the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane, which killed all 157 aboard.

"For Aerolineas Argentinas, safety is the most important value," the company said in a statement on the grounding of its five 737 Max 8 planes, out of a total fleet of 82.

 

 

Other nations and Airlines

A number of countries have banned Boeing's 737 MAX 8 medium-haul workhorse jet from their airspace in response to the Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.

Several airlines have grounded the MAX 8s in their fleets, but many others are continuing to fly the plane pending an investigation into the crash and possible guidance from Boeing itself.

Airlines still operating the model have been restricted by the airspace bans. Air Canada, for example, was obliged to cancel some flights to London because of Britain's ban on the aircraft.

The Nairobi-bound plane was the same type as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed in October, killing 189 passengers and crew -- and some officials have detected similarities between the two accidents.

More than 370 of the 737 MAX 8s are in service around the world, with nearly 5,000 on order.

Here is a round-up of countries and airlines that have banned the 737 MAX:

- Asia-Pacific -

Australia

China

India

Indonesia

Kazakhstan

Malaysia

New Zealand

- Middle East -

Egypt

Kuwait

Lebanon

Oman

United Arab Emirates -- including major hub Dubai

Africa

Namibia

Europe

All European Union countries

Serbia

- Airlines -

Outside of countries whose authorities have banned flights of 737 MAX jets, here is a list of individual airlines that have grounded them:

Aerolineas Argentinas

Aeromexico

Cayman Airways

Comair (South Africa)

Eastar Jet (South Korea)

Ethiopian Airlines

Gol Airlines (Brazil)

Icelandair

MIAT Mongolian Airlines

Norwegian Air Shuttle

S7 (Russia)