Hong Kong bans Boeing 737 MAX from city’s airspace following Ethiopia crash
- Prohibition will take effect at 6pm on Wednesday and continue until further notice, Civil Aviation Department spokesman says
- India’s budget carrier Spicejet and Russia’s S7 among the affected airlines
The United States looked increasingly isolated on Wednesday in its insistence on keeping the Boeing 737 MAX flying, with at least 45 jurisdictions, including Hong Kong, grounding the aircraft or barring it from entering their airspace.
There was no basis to suspend 737 MAX flights, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, regardless of confidence being shattered in other jurisdictions by two fatal crashes that have prompted several airlines and numerous regulators worldwide to take protective action.
“Thus far, our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft. Nor have other civil aviation authorities provided data to us that would warrant action,” FAA acting administrator Daniel Elwell said.
Hong Kong joined those not permitting Boeing’s upgrade of its bestselling jet to fly in, out or over their airspace, though it would have a limited impact on flights involving the city. No local airline flies that specific jet.
Vietnam, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand on Wednesday also banned the MAX jet from their airspace. Thailand announced a seven-day ban on the aircraft. That came after the European Union on Tuesday followed China’s lead in grounding the US-made aircraft.