13 of SpiceJet and five of Jet Airways’ fleet are Boeing 737 Max flights— and they risk being grounded after the Ethiopian Airlines crash

• Two Boeing 737 Max flights have crashed since October 2018.
  
• Cayman Airways has suspended the use of its new Boeing 737 Max flights.
  
• Chinese authorities too have already grounded all domestic planes of the same model.
  
• India’s aviation regulator has sought information from airlines that operate Boeing 737 Max flights.

The tragic crash of the Ethiopian Airlines — headed from Addis Ababa to Nairobi-- that killed 157 passengers has put the spotlight on Boeing 737 Max flights.

Airlines and regulators across the world have raised caution on the safety of these planes. Cayman Airways has suspended the use of its new Boeing 737 Max aircraft and China’s Civil Aviation Administration has asked its domestic airlines to temporarily ground all flights of the same model.

Similar pressure may mount on two Indian airlines—Jet Airways and SpiceJet.

Jet Airways has five Boeing 737 Max 8 flights in its fleet and SpiceJet has 13. “India's aviation watchdog DGCA is expected to examine concerns about the use of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on Sunday,” PTI reported citing a senior aviation ministry official on March 11 (Monday).

This may be an added blow for Jet, whose 49 out of a fleet of 119 planes have already been grounded after unpaid lessors decide to cut their losses.

It may be an equally big blow for SpiceJet as 13 of its fleet are Boeing 737 Max flights. The concerns around safety of the aircraft may keep passengers away, even as regulators investigate the risks of letting these planes fly.

The Ethiopian Airlines jet had been in service for only four months and had no known technical issues, Tewolde GebreMariam, the airline's chief executive, told NBC. The Lion Air crash in Indonesia in October 2018 was also a Boeing 737 Max and it crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. The Lion Air plane was in use a little over two months.

SEE ALSO:
Another Boeing 737MAX has crashed leaving no survivors. This time it was flying with Ethiopian Airlines.

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