China grounds Boeing crash plane; Southwest will continue to fly

Airlines in China have been ordered to halt all flights using Boeing’s 737 Max-8 airplane following the crash Sunday of an Ethiopian Airlines flight involving the same model. It was the second crash of a 737 Max-8 in the past five months. Both crashes occurred shortly after takeoff.

As of Sunday night Southwest Airlines, who fly more MAX-8s than any other airline in the world, declined to follow suit.

"Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737 Max-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity," the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a statement. The regulator said it would notify airlines as to when they could resume flying the Boeing jets.

In a released statement a Boeing spokesperson said the company was “deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the passengers and crew on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, a 737 MAX-8 airplane. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team.”

“A Boeing technical team will be travelling to the crash site to provide technical assistance under the direction of the Ethiopia Accident Investigation Bureau and U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.”

According to the Boeing website the 737 MAX, built at the company’s Renton, Wash., plant is the fastest-selling airplane in Boeing history, receiving more than 4,600 orders from more than 100 customers worldwide.

Approximately one-quarter of those orders have come from the Americas, with Southwest Airlines placing the most orders of any identified customer worldwide.

Southwest has thus far received 34 of their MAX-8 orders, more than any other airline.

Tonight in response to the China regulator order a spokesperson for Southwest said the company has no current plans for grounding their own fleet, stating “We don’t have any changes planned to our operational policies or procedures.”

The spokesperson added, “Our heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the passengers and Employees on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. As Southwest operates a fleet of 34 Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft, we have been in contact with Boeing and will continue to stay close to the investigation as it progresses. We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet.”