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Singapore grounding all Boeing 737 Max planes after recent crashes: CAAS

SINGAPORE — Singapore is grounding all Boeing 737 Max planes, after two recent fatal accidents involving the aircraft.

SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max aircraft, will be affected by the temporary suspension in Singapore, according to CAAS.

SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max aircraft, will be affected by the temporary suspension in Singapore, according to CAAS.

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SINGAPORE — Singapore is grounding all Boeing 737 Max planes, after two recent fatal accidents involving the aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said in a statement on Tuesday (March 12) that it is temporarily suspending operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft into and out of Singapore, from 2pm the same day.

During this suspension, it will “gather more information and review the safety risk associated with the continued operation of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft into and out of Singapore”, it added.

The move comes after a Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday, killing all 157 in board. Just five months ago in October, a 737 Max 8 operated by Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea, killing 189.

China, Ethiopia and Indonesia have grounded their Boeing 737 Max 8 fleets, while some airlines in other countries are voluntarily pulling their fleets from service.

SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max aircraft, will be affected by the temporary suspension in Singapore, the CAAS said.

Above: A woman looks at an electronic board informing travellers that a Shandong Airline flight has been cancelled at Changi Airport on March 12, 2019. Photo: Najeer Yusof/TODAY

The other airlines currently operating Boeing 737 Max aircraft to Singapore are China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air.

 

IMPACT ON AIRLINES

In a statement, SilkAir confirmed that as of Tuesday morning, all six of its Boeing 737 Max aircraft have been grounded in Singapore and will not be returned to service until further notice. Its 17 Boeing 737-800NGs are not affected, it added.

However, it said the withdrawal from service of the 737 Max 8 fleet will have an impact on some of its flight schedules.

“Customers who may be affected by flight disruptions will be contacted for re-accommodation,” it added.

Meanwhile, TODAY understands that Garuda Airlines, which has eight Boeing 737 Max planes, will replace them with the 737 800s in its fleet.

Garuda's 5:45pm Tuesday flight from Singapore to Jakarta, originally flown on a 737 Max, will proceed as usual on a 737 800 aircraft. 

TODAY has reached out to the other airlines.


CAAS "CLOSELY MONITORING" SITUATION

CAAS is working with Changi Airport Group and the affected airlines to minimise any impact to travelling passengers, the CAAS said.

“CAAS has been in regular contact with SilkAir on its Max operations since last year, and has been satisfied that it has been taking appropriate measures to comply with the necessary safety requirements,” it added.

CAAS is closely monitoring the situation and is in close communication with the United States Federal Aviation Administration and other aviation regulators, as well as Boeing, the CAAS said.

The suspension will be reviewed as relevant safety information becomes available, it added.

 

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