U.S. lets Boeing 737 Max 8s fly as others ban aircraft

FAA hesitant to ground an entire fleet without concrete findings.

Uneasiness about of one of Boeing’s most popular jets mounted Tuesday after the deadly crashes of two 737 Max 8 aircraft in under five months.

What happened

European authorities banned the planes, one of the most important aviation regulators in the world to change its stance over the plane’s safety. It followed earlier moves by aviation regulators in China, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia, as well as carriers in Africa, South America and North America, to ground the jets.

With the decision by European authorities, a majority of the 737 Max 8 aircraft in the world have been pulled from use since an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed Sunday, killing 157 people.

One country holding back: the United States. The Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. regulator, is typically hesitant to ground an entire fleet without concrete findings of an inherent design or manufacturing problem.

Why it matters

The investigation of the Ethiopia crash is in its initial phases, as authorities analyze the plane’s flightdata and cockpit-voice recorders.

The FAA said Monday that it would examine the data from the Ethiopia crash and act as necessary. But the agency added that it was too early to make a determination about what caused the fatal accident and cautioned against making comparisons to an October crash in Indonesia involving a Lion Air flight.

Boeing echoed the FAA’s warning, with the company saying it was working closely with U.S. and Ethiopian authorities to investigate the cause of the crash. Boeing said it was committed to ensuring the safety and quality of its planes.

Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, the two carriers in the United States that use the 737 Max 8, also said they remained confident in the safety of the planes and planned to continue flying them.

Two crashes

One concern among regulators was whether the system suspected of playing a role in the Lion Air crash had contributed to the latest accident. Indonesian and U.S. authorities have raised the possibility that a new system in the 737 Max — and pilots’ lack of familiarity with it — could have contributed to the Lion Air Flight 610 crash.

The similarities, with both planes crashing minutes after erratic takeoffs, are driving authorities to order the groundings. Despite Boeing and U.S. authorities standing behind the plane, regulators and carriers elsewhere are opting to ban the plane.

GETTY IMAGES A majority of the 737 Max 8 aircraft have been pulled from use since an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash killed 157 people Sunday.