Boeing 737 Max 8 gets vote of confidence from officials in U.S.

Canadian airlines will use aircraft while other countries ground planes

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 six months.

Monday evening, the U.S. 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.

“The European Aviation Safety Agency will assess the risk and decide based on information received if there is any further action,” European Com- mission spokesperson Enrico Brivio said.

Transport Minister Garneau said he has been in touch with U.S. Transportation Department Secretary Elaine Chao and is working with aviation authorities to uncover the problem “and then take action.”

Canada’s major airlines have been inundated on social media with questions about the safety of their fleet in the wake of the crash.

Angie Hung, scheduled to take a WestJet flight June 5 from Calgary to Halifax en route to Scotland for a Spice Girls concert, was one of scores of Canadians asking airlines if they planned to ground the Max 8, the plane listed on her flight.

“I am planning to tweet, ‘I love you Mom and Dad,’” she said in an interview, “in case something bad happens.”

“If I could afford to cancel and change it, I would,” said Hung, 42.

Fernando Candido, an Edmonton-based elementary school teacher, said he flies up to 10 times per year.

“I’m kind of worried. I’m sure eventually I’ll have to use one of those planes,” said Candido, 58. “Maybe in Canada they should not fly those planes any more until they figure out those issues.”

Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs said travellers aiming to change an alreadybooked flight have limited options.

“Passengers unfortunately do not have the right to cancel flights (and receive compensation) based on subjective fears, even in the European Union, the gold standard for passenger rights,” he said, pointing to the potential financial ramifications for companies and inconvenience to passengers.

Canada’s two largest airlines said they are confident in the safety of the Boeing 737 Max 8 and will continue to fly them.

“WestJet remains confident in the safety of our Boeing 737 fleet including our13 Max-8 aircraft first introduced in 2017,” said spokesperson Morgan Bell in a statement to Star Calgary.

The crash drew comparisons to the October crash of Lion Air Flight 610. All 189 passengers and crew aboard were killed when the jet crashed into the Java Sea. The plane went down shortly after takeoff. FAA officials cautioned against drawing conclusions so early in the investigation.