UAE regulator bans operations of Boeing 737 Max
flydubai’s fleet of 11 Boeing 737 Max 8 and 2 Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft have been grounded
Dubai: The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Tuesday night issued a ban against the operations of any Boeing 737 Max aircraft, following the fatal crash of an Ethiopian Airways plane of the same model.
The GCAA said the ban is a “precautionary measure” and is effective March 13, 2019 at 12:01am. It will be effective till further notice.
The ban is “aimed toward protecting public safety in the air and on the ground,” the Authority said in a statement, adding that it will continue to monitor and re-assess the situation as more information is obtained about the crash.
The ban applies to any carriers landing in or taking off from any of the UAE’s airports.
Among local airlines, flydubai is the only one operating any Boeing 737 MAXs, and responded saying that it will be following the GCAA directive on the ban.
The budget carrier will be grounding both MAX 8 and MAX 9 models, it confirmed to Gulf News.
“Flydubai is adjusting its schedule to minimize disruption to passengers and will operate flights with its fleet of next-generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Where there are flight cancellations, flydubai will contact passengers directly,” the carrier said.