Canada bans Boeing 737 MAX based on new data

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) – Canada on Wednesday joined a growing list of countries that have grounded and banned Boeing 737 MAX airplanes following the weekend crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed all 157 people on board, including 18 Canadians.

“This safety notice restricts commercial passenger flights from any air operator, both domestic and foreign, of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 aircraft from arriving, departing or overflying Canadian airspace,” Transport Minister Marc Garneau said at a press conference.

Garneau said the ban was enacted after new information was received Wednesday morning.

He said data showed a similarity in the crashes involving the Ethiopian aircraft on March 10 and the Oct. 27 crash of the same plane model off the coast of Jakarta, Indonesia that killed 189 people.

Both crashes took place shortly after takeoff.

Tuesday, Canada’s Sunwing Airlines grounded its four Max 8 aircraft.