Boeing Max 8 will continue to fly in U.S. and Europe even as China, Ethiopia ground it

A new Ethio­pian airlines plane bound for Nairobi crashed March 10, killing all 157 people on board.(Reuters)

By Paul Schemm , Lori Aratani and Michael Laris

March 12 at 12:13 AM

ADDIS ABABA, Ethi­o­pia — U.S. officials expressed confidence Monday in the Boeing-made jetliner involved in Sunday’s Ethi­o­pia Airlines crash that killed all 157 people aboard and said they saw no reason so far to restrict the planes from flying.

Airlines and regulators in Ethi­o­pia, China and other countries, meanwhile, said they were temporarily grounding Boeing’s newest version of the 737, the Max 8, after the plane was involved in its second fatal crash in less than five months.

Monday evening, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a “continued airworthiness notification to the international community for Boeing 737 Max operators.”

The notification essentially said that U.S. regulators think the aircraft are safe to operate but that the agency will take additional action if it receives information indicating otherwise. It also outlined previous actions the FAA had taken related to the crash of a Lion Air flight Oct. 29. That plane also was a Max 8.

“The FAA continuously assesses and oversees the safety performance of . . . U.S. commercial aircraft,” Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said. “If the FAA identifies an issue that affects safety, the department will take immediate and appropriate action.”

European regulators, too, are continuing to monitor the investigation before taking action. Read more...