Following the Ethiopian Airline Boeing 737 max plane crush that claimed 157 lives, carriers around the world are facing questions today about whether to ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.
Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the aircraft and has outstanding orders for more than 200, says it remains confident in the model but added it is in contact with Boeing and will follow developments in Ethiopia closely.
American Airlines doesn’t appear to be following China, Ethiopia and the Cayman Islands by grounding its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.
The airline has 24 models of the jet in its fleet, according to the website PlaneSpotters, which tracks aircraft deliveries.
“We have full confidence in the aircraft and our crew members, who are the best and most experienced in the industry,” American Airlines said in a statement.
Boeing faces a damaging fall in its share price when the New York Stock Exchange opens in less than two hours.
The company’s shares are down around 10% in pre-market trading in the wake of a second disaster in less than six months involving its bestselling passenger jet, the 737 MAX 8.
Boeing has already postponed the debut of its new 777x jetliner,which was scheduled for this week, following Sunday’s crash that threatens to tarnish the company’s reputation for safety.