Virgin Australia not to introduce new Boeing 737 Max aircraft until completely satisfied with safety

SYDNEY, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Virgin Australia have assured the public that they will not introduce any new aircraft to their fleet unless completely satisfied with its safety, the airline said on Wednesday.

The statement came after Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash which killed all 157 people on board.

Just five months prior, another Boeing 737 MAX 8 operated by Lion Air also went down in Indonesia, killing 189 people.

With the aircraft now under the microscope of the globe's aviation authorities, investigators are examining whether there could be a fault in the plane's automated systems.

As a result, several nations have decided to ground the model until more about the cause are known.

While Virgin Australia do not currently have any Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in their fleet, the airline has 30 of the aircraft on order from the U.S. manufacturer which are due to be delivered in November.

Estimated to value around 172 million Australian dollars (121.45 million U.S. dollars), Virgin Australia said we are closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with Boeing, Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and other relevant authorities as more information becomes available.

"Safety is Virgin Australia's No. 1 priority," Virgin Australia said.