Mexico, Brazil Temporary Ground Their Boeing 737 MAX Fleet After Ethiopia Crash

"After the crash of two Boeing 737-8 planes and due to the similarities between these two cases, we have decided to suspend the commercial use of Boeing 737-8 by Brazilian companies as a preventative measure", Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) said in a statement on Wednesday.

Similarly, Mexico’s Directorate General of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) said it had introduced a ban on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 9 flights.

"The Mexican state has decided to suspend all the operations of the Boeing MAX 8 and MAX 9 airplanes on both domestic and international flights until the next notice", the DGAC said in a statement, cited by the Financiero news outlet.

READ MORE: US House to Probe Boeing 737 Max Certification Over Pilot Training Concerns

Both agencies added that the ban would remain in force until measures ensuring the safety of 737 MAX flights have been taken.

The fatal accident occurred on Sunday. The plane crashed just after taking off from Addis Ababa. All 157 people on board the Ethiopian Airlines’ plane were killed in the accident. Notably, the crash was the second accident involving the plane over the past five months. In late October, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 of the Indonesian Lion Air carrier plunged into the Java Sea shortly after the take-off, claiming the lives of 189 people.

Boeing said in a Wednesday statement that the company had recommended that the FAA ground the entire global fleet of 371 airplanes, while insisting that the 737 Max aircraft were safe to fly.

READ MORE: More Countries Ground Boeing 737, Is US FAA Putting Profit Over Safety?

The United States and Canada were the last major holdouts in allowing the 737 Max jets to continue flying. Meanwhile, at least 40 other nations, including China and the 28-nation European Union, had grounded Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 until further notice.

American Airlines said that 24 of its aircraft were affected by the decision and began rebooking passengers, as did United Airlines, which operates 40 flights daily with 14 737 Max planes. Southwest did likewise for passengers on its 34 affected aircraft.

READ MORE: Black Boxes of Ethiopian Boeing 737 MAX to Be Analysed in France