Kenya over the last few days has been mourning the death of 32 of its citizens in a plane crash in Ethiopia that claimed all 157 people on Sunday morning. A flight tracking site indicated that the plane had shown signs of trouble only two minutes after take-off. Flight ET302 left Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa at 8:38am for Nairobi.
Few days later China and Indonesia grounded Ethiopian fleet following the crash with Australia banning the model from its airspace. Ethiopian Airlines is making arrangements for relatives of 32 Kenyans who perished in Sunday’s crash of flight ET302 to travel to Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines Manager in Charge of Operations in Kenya, Yilma Goshu Gobena, said the airline is willing to help with travel arraignments and accommodation for the bereaved families.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia says efforts were being made to contact some seven families yet to be reached, with the government saying it had contacted relatives of 25 Kenyans who were on board the ill-fated plane that crashed six minutes after takeoff from Bole International Airport. A person who lost a relative in the crash said that the airline had promised to brief them on travel arrangements in the course of the day.
Ethiopian Airlines on Monday announced the recovery of flight data and cockpit voice recorders, components which are vital in the ongoing investigation into the crash. Gobena Monday told the media the airline had grounded all its Boeing 737 Max 8 out of caution as investigations into the fatal crash continue.