Oman Air is in touch with Boeing on safety

The national airline, Oman Air, which has five Boeing’s 737 Max 8 currently in service, will not ground these planes for now.

This announcement came on a day when some international airlines decided to ground the modern-day aircraft following a deadly accident on Sunday that killed 157 people.

Following public inquiries in Oman about the safety of this type of aircraft, Oman Air, said: “Oman Air is monitoring the situation with regards to 737 Max 8 aircraft, and is in close contact with the manufacturer Boeing to understand if there are any implications for other airlines operating the same model.”

It added that the safety and wellbeing of the guests is over-riding considerations.

Oman Air has 25 of the same model on order.

The Ethiopian Airlines (ET 302) bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after take-off on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board and prompting the carrier to ground the rest of its fleet of the jets.

It was the second crash of the 737 MAX 8, the latest version of Boeing’s workhorse narrow-body jet that first entered service in 2017. In October, a 737 MAX 8 operated by Indonesian budget carrier Lion Air crashed 13 minutes after take-off from Jakarta on a domestic flight, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said all Chinese airlines had to suspend their use of the 737 MAX 8 by 6 pm.