S.African civil authority welcomes the grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8

JOHANNESBURG, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) on Tuesday welcomed Comair's decision to ground its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft from its flight schedule.

SACAA's spokesperson Kabelo Ledwaba told Xinhua that the grounding must be commended.

The decision showed that the operator puts the concerns, interest and safety of its passengers and crew first, Ledwaba said.

The decision to remove Boeing 737 Max 8 comes in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines crash which killed 157 people on board on Sunday.

"We will continue to monitor the situation and engage all stakeholders including the operators and the manufacturers on this matter. We are ready to provide any support that may be requested by counterparts." Ledwaba said.

While the cause of Sunday's crash is yet to be determined, Comair said its decision was not promoted by regulatory authorities and manufacturers, adding that it would consult with other operators about the decision.

Comair is an airline based in South Africa, and is the only one that has Boeing 737 Max 8 in the country.

A number of countries including China, Indonesia and others have recently announced that they would suspend commercial operations of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.