Boeing alert on jet model

THE same model of plane that crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people on board, flies in and out of Cairns regularly.

SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, flies out of Cairns at least three times a week to Singapore and uses the same Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft as Lion Air.

Boeing has warned pilots that incorrect readings from a flight-monitoring system on the 737 MAX 8 models can “cause the planes to abruptly dive”.

But a SilkAir spokesman said the company would continue to fly 737 MAX 8s.

“SilkAir is in full compliance with the Flight Crew Operations Manual Bulletin issued by Boeing,” he said.