Singapore grounds all Boeing 737 Max flights: Boeing update

The Ethiopian disaster followed the crash of a Lion Air 737 Max off the coast of Indonesia in October that killed 189 passengers and crew.

Boeing Co. is grappling with a crisis after a second 737 Max plane crashed in five months. While investigators are still piecing together why an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 plunged into a hillside minutes after takeoff Sunday, killing 157 people, China and Indonesia have ordered carriers to ground the revamped narrow-body plane. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that the jet model remains airworthy.

Rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, or Debre Zeit, south of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Monday, March 11, 2019. A spokesman says Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft as a safety precaution, following the crash of one of its planes in which 157 people were killed. (AP)

Boeing tumbled the most on the S&P 500 Index on Monday as questions swirled around the newest version of its 737 family, a cash cow that generates almost a third of the company’s operating profit. The Ethiopian disaster followed the crash of a Lion Air 737 Max off the coast of Indonesia in October that killed 189 passengers and crew.

Here are the latest developments (time stamps are local time in Hong Kong):

Singapore Suspends Boeing 737 Max Flights (10:41 a.m.)

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said all Boeing 737 Max flights will be suspended into and out of Singapore after two accidents involving the aircraft in less than five months. The suspension takes effect from 2 p.m. local time on March 12.

Aeromexico Grounds Boeing 737 Max Planes (8:05 a.m.)

Mexico’s Grupo Aeromexico SAB became the latest airline to suspend Boeing 737 Max flights. The airline said it would temporarily ground its six Max jets until it has more information about the Ethiopian Airlines disaster.

Hours earlier, Aeromexico said it was confident in its Max fleet and the aircraft were in perfect condition.

Here’s what happened on Monday:

FAA Says Boeing 737 Max Still Airworthy Despite Second CrashBack-to-Back 737 Crashes Have Few Parallels in Aviation HistoryBoeing Jet Woes Lead Analysts to Stress Caution After Crash Ethiopia Finds Flight Recorders From Doomed Boeing 737 MaxCrashed Ethiopian Plane Had at Least 19 UN Officials on BoardWhat Is the Boeing 737 Max and Which Airlines Fly It?: QuickTakeFearful Flyers Lose Faith in Boeing 737 Max After Second CrashTwo Short, Erratic Flights End in Tragedy: Could They Be Linked?Boeing Shares Weigh on Dow Futures After Ethiopia CrashHow Boeing’s 737 Max Went From Bestseller to Safety Concern