China has ordered its airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes over safety fears after the Ethiopian Airlines crash killed 157.
Concerns have been raised about the new model following the second devastating air disaster in less than five months.
Sunday’s tragedy follows the Lion Air flight that went down over the Java Sea in late October, killing all 189 people on board.
China’s civilian aviation authority today ordered all Chinese airlines to temporarily ground their Boeing 737 Max 8 planes.
The order, which was issued at 9am Beijing time Monday, will last nine hours.
It said further notice would be issued after consultation with the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing on safety measures taken.
Eight Chinese nationals were among the 157 people who died when the plane crashed six minutes after take-off.
A latest version of the best-selling commercial jet in history, the Boeing 737 Max 8 is operated by scores of airlines around the world – including in the UK.