Bermuda bans Boeing Max 737 planes from its airspace
HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Bermuda has become the latest Caribbean country to ban all variants of the Boeing 737 Max airliner from the island’s airspace after a Max 8 crashed in Ethiopia at the weekend killing all 157 people on board, including five members of the family of a Kenyan banker working here.
The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) has also grounded all versions of the 737 Max series listed on the Bermuda Aircraft Registry.
The move was in line with air regulators across the world as they suspended operations of the Boeing 737 Max in their regions.
“Following the tragic accident of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 involving a Boeing 737 Max aircraft, the BCAA is taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of passengers. The accident investigation is currently ongoing, and it is too early to draw any conclusions as to the cause of the accident,” a spokeswoman for the BCAA, said.
“As a precautionary measure, BCAA has provisionally suspended the Certificate of Airworthiness of all Boeing 737 Max aircraft on the Bermuda Aircraft Registry. In addition, BCAA have temporarily suspended the operation of all variants of the Boeing 737 Max aircraft into and out of Bermuda airspace.
“This decision has been taken based on ensuring the continued safety of passengers and flight crew, which is the BCAA’s number one priority. During the temporary suspension, the BCAA will continue to work closely with the US Federal Aviation Authority and Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer,” she added.
The plane crash on Sunday was the second fatal accident involving the 737 Max 8 model in less than five months.
Paul Njoroge, a Kenyan who works for Bermuda-headquartered Butterfield Bank as an investment officer, lost his wife Caroline, son Ryan, seven, daughter Kerry, four, seven-month-old daughter Rubi and mother-in-law Ann Wangui Karanja.
A former summer student at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences was also among those killed. Danielle Moore, who was 24 and from Toronto, was one of 18 Canadians killed in the crash.
