Ukraine’s aviation regulator has suspended all flights of Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft over the country’s territory after a deadly plane crash in Ethiopia.
A number of countries have banned this model of aircraft, including the United Kingdom, European Union, China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, the United States, Turkey, and others. Some airlines have also grounded this aircraft.
“Boeing issued a statement saying they would recommend the temporary global suspension of the entire 737 MAX fleet,” CNN reported.
Earlier, Ukraine International Airlines, or UIA, the country’s main carrier, announced plans to add three Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to its fleet this year. The company, however, now must to put the deal on hold.
“UIA is in talks with Boeing and closely following the investigation of the plane crash in Ethiopia,” the company said in a statement.
“This model of aircraft will be admitted to commercial service only after all necessary procedures to confirm its safety are carried out and aviation regulators of Ukraine, the EU, and the U.S. allow its flights,” the statement read.
A Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed on Mar. 10, killing 157 people on board. Earlier in October, a similar accident took the lives of 189 passengers and crew on board a 737 MAX 8 flown by Indonesian airline Lion Air.
