Fiji Airways has elected to ground its two Boeing 737 Max 8s, joining the growing list of operators that have suspended operations with the type following the 10 March crash of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302.
The carrier says that the decision was made in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, and the temporary suspension will remain until more information is known about the cause of the latest 737 Max crash.
“We would like to stress that Fiji Airways, together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Fiji, continue to have full confidence in the airworthiness of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft, and in the skilled and experienced Fiji Airways pilots and engineers who operate them,” it adds.
The grounding appeared inevitable after Australian and New Zealand regulators banned 737 Max aircraft from operating flights to and from their cities on 12 and 13 March, respectively.
Cirium schedules data shows that Fiji Airways deploys its Max jets on 44 flights each week from Nadi to Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, Christchurch and Auckland.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
