Hong Kong Bans 737 MAX Planes From Its Airspace

Hong Kong on Wednesday followed other jurisdictions around the world in temporarily banning Boeing's 737 MAX planes from its airspace, in the wake of a crash in Ethiopia on Sunday which killed 157 people, including a Hong Kong man.

The move by the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) came a day after it said it was taking a wait-and-see approach, and two days after the mainland grounded the aircraft.

"Having regard to the latest situation, the CAD has decided to temporarily prohibit operation of Boeing B737 MAX aircraft into, out of and over Hong Kong. The temporary prohibition will take effect at 6pm Hong Kong time on March 13 and continue until further notice," a spokesman for the department said.

"The temporary prohibition is solely a precautionary measure to ensure aviation safety and protect the public," he added.

Aviation officials say India's SpiceJet and Russia's Globus Airlines have recently been using B737 MAX planes on Hong Kong routes and they have been notified about the temporary ban.

In January, a SpiceJet B737 MAX flying from Hong Kong to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing when one of its engines failed.

The CAD earlier said that Mongolian Airlines and Garuda Indonesia have also been using this model of plane for flights to and from Chek Lap Kok, but they had already made the decision to ground the aircraft.

Sunday's crash of an Ethiopian Airlines B737 MAX plane came five months after a Lion Air plane of the same model crashed in the Java Sea off Indonesia, killing 189 people.

Following the latest accident, the European Union, Australia, Singapore and several other countries have also announced temporary bans on the aircraft, although the US, which is home to Boeing, has said there is no basis to ground the planes.