Thread by @tictoc

THREAD ⬇️ 157 passengers and crew were killed when Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed shortly after takeoff, putting Boeing's 737 Max airplane back in the spotlight. Here's what you need to know bloom.bg/2TI6uHE

Which airlines have purchased the 737 Max?

The main operators include Southwest Airlines (31 in the fleet), American Airlines (22) and Air Canada (20). Norwegian Air, FlyDubai and several Chinese carriers also operate them

Will the 737 Max be grounded?

In some places. China and Indonesia have grounded the planes for inspection.

On the other hand, Southwest said it’s confident in the safety of its fleet, including the Max, and American said it will keep a close watch on the Ethiopian probe

How can I check whether my flight is on a 737 Max?

If you already have a ticket, you should be able to tell from the booking details. If you are making a booking online, many sites indicate the model. If not, websites such as FlightStats allow you to dig into details

How is the Max different from earlier 737s?

It has bigger engines, uses more automation, has a higher range and uses less fuel. After the Lion Air crash, it came to light that the 737 Max has software that forces the plane’s nose down in certain circumstances to prevent stalling

Are the crashes linked?

Too early to say. The incidents took place not long after takeoff as the planes flew erratically and pilots asked to return to the airport. Yet veteran crash investigators say there’s too little data to draw a direct tie at this stage of the investigation

For more, check out @business's QuickTake 👉 bloom.bg/2THlllK

LATEST: Australia will suspend Boeing 737 Max operations to and from the country.

Earlier, Singapore also moved to bar jets of the same model bloom.bg/2EWeU4P

MORE: South Korea's Eastar Jet just announced suspending flights with Boeing 737 Max aircraft

JUST IN: The Malaysia Aviation Authority has suspended Boeing 737 Max 8 flights twitter.com/CAA_Malaysia/s…

Here's what you need to know about Boeing 737 Max, the 4th generation of the world's best selling commercial aircraft

JUST IN: The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority has grounded Boeing 737 Max flights

https://twitter.com/UK_CAA/status/1105461217886375937

JUST IN: Boeing says the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration isn't mandating action on the 737 Max at this time

Countries that have grounded Boeing 737 Max planes following Sunday's crash in Ethiopia:

🇬🇧 U.K.
🇲🇾 Malaysia
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇦🇺 Australia
🇴🇲 Oman
🇨🇳 China
🇮🇩 Indonesia

MORE: The Irish Aviation Authority has just suspended operations of Boeing 737 Max jets

Germany will also ban the Boeing 737 Max from its airspace, according to the country's transport minister

JUST IN: France's aviation authority has also banned the Boeing 737 Max from its airspace

Boeing just released the following statement as countries around the world ban the 737 Max from their airspace twitter.com/BoeingAirplane…

The Netherlands has also closed its airspace for the Boeing 737 Max, according to Dutch press agency ANP

Italy's aviation authority says it has decided to stop commercial flights of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes in its airspace

JUST IN: The European Union aviation regulator suspended all 737 Max flights

UPDATE: Despite a growing list of countries grounding the Boeing 737 Max, the FAA maintains the aircraft is safe for travel, according to a statement from Acting Administrator Daniel Elwell

Nations halting Boeing 737 Max flights:
- 🇦🇺
- 🇦🇹
- 🇧🇪
- 🇧🇬
- 🇨🇳
- 🇭🇷
- 🇨🇾
- 🇨🇿
- 🇩🇰
- 🇪🇪
- 🇫🇮
- 🇫🇷
- 🇩🇪
- 🇬🇷
- 🇭🇺
- 🇮🇸
- 🇮🇳
- 🇮🇩
- 🇮🇪
- 🇮🇹
- 🇰🇼
- 🇱🇻
- 🇱🇮
- 🇱🇹
- 🇱🇺
- 🇲🇾
- 🇲🇹
- 🇳🇱
- 🇳🇿
- 🇳🇴
- 🇴🇲
- 🇵🇱
- 🇵🇹
- 🇷🇴
- 🇸🇬
- 🇸🇰
- 🇸🇮
- 🇪🇸
- 🇸🇪
- 🇨🇭
- 🇹🇷
- 🇦🇪
- 🇬🇧
- 🇻🇳

Nations where 1 or more carriers are grounding the Boeing 737 Max:
- 🇦🇷
- 🇧🇷
- 🇨🇦
- 🇪🇹
- 🇰🇷
- 🇲🇽
- 🇲🇳
- 🇲🇦
- 🇷🇺
- 🇿🇦
Read more @business: bloom.bg/2UzsNN3

@business JUST IN: Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department announced plans to temporarily ban the Boeing 737 Max from its airspace 🇭🇰

MORE: Fly Norwegian's CEO Bjørn Kjos apologizes to passengers affected by the temporary grounding of their 737 MAX aircraft twitter.com/Fly_Norwegian/…