Ethiopian Airlines plane crash

An investigation is underway after a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft crashed Sunday in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people on board. It is the second time in less than six months that one of the planes has crashed within minutes of takeoff.

There are approximately 350 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft in operation worldwide, being flown by 54 operators, according to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Travelers can check the full list of airlines that fly the plane on the Boeing website.

Here’s a list of the airlines still flying the aircraft:

Read more about the aircraft here.

Comair is displayed on the Arrival/Departure board at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.

The South African-based airline Comair said Monday that it had grounded the single Boeing 737 MAX 8 in its fleet – only weeks after its delivery – in light of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

In a statement, Comair said that it had decided “to remove its 737 MAX from its flight schedule,” adding that it made the decision even though “neither regulatory authorities nor the manufacturer has required it to do so.” 

The airline did not provide additional information on a second Boeing 737 MAX 8 that is scheduled for delivery this month.  

Comair has been a franchise partner with British Airways since 1996, and also flies as the low budget brand kulula.com.

Twenty-one United Nation staffers were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, UN officials said Monday, revising a death toll provided to CNN earlier in the day.

One of the fatalities was re-classified as non-UN staff, as he was an outside expert and not UN personnel, a UN spokesperson said.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke about the victims this morning.

On Monday, Audrey Azoulay, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Director-General, expressed her condolences to the families of the plane crash victims, some of whom were UN staff.

Azoulay specifically referred to Sebastiano Tusa, an Italian expert on underwater archaeology, who had been en route to deliver a keynote address at a UNESCO conference in Kenya.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Professor Tusa. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to his family and to the relatives of all the victims of this terrible crash, including UN staff,” said Azoulay.

Here’s more from her statement:

The 737 MAX is Boeing’s most important plane, and China is Boeing’s most important market. That’s why China’s decision to ground all Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets operated by its airlines is so significant.

It’s too early to know how long the grounding will last or what the ultimate fallout will be, but the news is not good for Boeing.

Boeing has predicted that China will soon become the world’s first trillion-dollar market for jets. A dozen Chinese airlines have ordered 180 of the planes, and 76 of them have been delivered, according Boeing. About 85% of Boeing’s unfilled Chinese airline orders are for 737 MAX planes.

The 737 has been Boeing’s bestselling product for decades. The company’s future depends on the success the 737 MAX, the newest version of the jet. Boeing has 4,700 unfilled orders for 737s, representing 80% of Boeing’s orders backlog. Virtually all 737 orders are for MAX versions.

So far, US airlines have not grounded their 737 MAX jets. American Airlines, Alaska Air, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines have ordered a combined 548 of Boeing’s 737 MAX jets, 65 of which have been delivered. If those 65 jets are grounded, it wouldn’t cause major disruptions for the US airlines, because they maintain huge fleets of other planes.

Following the crash of one of its 737 MAX 8 aircraft, Boeing said it has no plans for new guidance.

“The investigation is in its early stages, but at this point, based on the information available, we do not have any basis to issue new guidance to operators,” Charlie Miller, Boeing’s vice president of communications, said in a statement.

Here’s the full statement:

The Dow fell 225 points, or 0.9%, this morning, dragged lower by a sharp selloff for Boeing. The S&P 500 gained 0.4%, while the Nasdaq advanced 0.5%. 

Boeing dropped 13% following the second crash of its 737 MAX 8 jet in five months.

Some context here: Boeing is on track for its worst day since September 17, 2001 — the first day of trading following the 9/11 terror attacks. Southwest Airlines, which operates the largest fleet of 737 Max 8 jets, fell 2%.

The Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed Sunday was packed with humanitarian workers and international experts, many of whom were bound for a major United Nations environmental summit in Nairobi, Kenya. Twenty two UN staffers were among the 157 people killed.

The victims came from at least 35 countries, including at least 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians, eight people from the United States, China and Italy, and seven from France and the United Kingdom, according to the airline.

Here are their stories:

22 UN staffers were killed in the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash, United Nations Secretary General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told CNN on Monday.

The United Nations flag at the UN Headquarters is flying half-mast today in honor of victims.

“The environmental community is in mourning today. Many of those that lost their lives were en-route to provide support and participate in the UN Environment Assembly,” said Joyce Msuya, the UN Environment Acting Executive Director, in a statement.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash, which killed all 157 people on board Sunday, is the second time in less than six months that a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft has crashed within minutes of takeoff.

Both crashes are under investigation and there is no evidence of a link between the two, but similarities between the incidents have prompted caution among some aviation authorities and airlines.

These airlines, countries and agencies have grounded their MAX 8 aircraft until further notice:

These airlines have MAX 8 jets in their fleet but have not grounded them:

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), along with other international agencies, continue to investigate the crash.

The pilot of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 has been identified as Yared Getachew, Ethiopian Airlines official Bamlaku Gete told CNN.

He was a senior Ethiopian Airlines pilot who had flown more than 8,000 hours. He had an “excellent flying record”, according to CEO Tewolde GebreMariam.

The scene of the crash is about a two-hour drive from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

A team from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is set to arrive at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines crash Tuesday to assist in investigating what caused it, the U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Michael Raynor told CNN.

“We’re working to coordinate with Interpol and with Ethiopian authorities to do everything we can collectively to ensure that victim identification is done humanely and efficiently as possible,” Raynor also confirmed.

Speaking about the eight Americans that were on the flight, Raynor said they were “people who either lived here or were here to work and contribute to the development of this continent.”

“Eight inspiring lives and eight true tragedies and our hearts go out to everyone impacted by their deaths,” Raynor said of the victims.

Raynor added that the U.S. embassy was “doing everything we can to be relevant and supportive and to help everyone reach as much closure and as much clarity as possible.”

Wreckage from the Lion Air flight that crashed in October is recovered last year. Both flights used a Boeing 737 MAX 8.

Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation Monday ordered all Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to be grounded pending further inspections, the ministry announced. The move follows similar orders from China, Ethiopia and the Cayman Islands.

Jakarta’s decision was closely watched Monday, given that Indonesian airline Lion Air suffered a disaster on a MAX 8 flight last October that killed all 189 people on board.

Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines crash was the second on the model in less than six months.

Lion Air operates 10 MAX 8 aircraft, but the safety features of those planes will now be investigated before they can be flown again.

Boeing faces a damaging fall in its share price when the New York Stock Exchange opens in less than two hours.

The company’s shares are down around 10% in pre-market trading in the wake of a second disaster in less than six months involving its bestselling passenger jet, the 737 MAX 8.

Boeing has already postponed the debut of its new 777X jetliner, which was scheduled for this week, following Sunday’s crash that threatens to tarnish the company’s reputation for safety.

Southwest celebrate the delivery of the 10,000th Boeing 737 -- a MAX 8 jet -- last year.

Carriers around the world are facing questions today about whether to ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which operates 34 of the aircraft and has outstanding orders for more than 200, says it remains confident in the model – but added it is in contact with Boeing and will follow developments in Ethiopia closely.

“Our heart goes out to the families and loved ones of the passengers and employees on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302,” a Southwest spokesman said in a statement sent to CNN. “As Southwest operates a fleet of 34 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, we have been in contact with Boeing and will continue to stay close to the investigation as it progresses. 

“We remain confident in the safety and airworthiness of our fleet of more than 750 Boeing aircraft,” the statement added. “We don’t have any changes planned to our operational policies or procedures.”

The black box from the flight has been found, Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed.

The black box – or digital flight data recorder – will provide the first clues as to what caused the Ethiopian Airlines plane to crash just six minutes after takeoff.

The flight’s cockpit voice recorder has also been recovered, the airline said.

Learn more about why the black box is so important to air crash investigations here.

American Airlines doesn’t appear to be following China, Ethiopia and the Cayman Islands by grounding its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

The airline has 24 models of the jet in its fleet, according to the website PlaneSpotters, which tracks aircraft deliveries.

“We have full confidence in the aircraft and our crew members, who are the best and most experienced in the industry,” American Airlines said in a statement.

“American Airlines extends our condolences to the families and friends of those on board Ethiopian Airlines flight 302. At this time there are no facts on the cause of the accident other than news reports,” the statement added.

Sunday’s disaster in Ethiopia is the second time a MAX 8 aircraft has crashed in less than six months. American is collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulatory authorities, the company said.

We won’t get our first real idea as to what caused Sunday’s crash until the plane’s black box is analyzed.

But airlines shouldn’t wait until then to ground their fleets of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, according to Mary Schiavo, a CNN aviation analyst and the former Inspector General of the U.S. Transportation Department.

“Absolutely, everybody should” ground the jets, Schiavo told CNN Monday. “I think Boeing should take the lead – Boeing should do it,” she added.

The MAX 8 jet, unveiled just two years ago, has been involved in two crashes in less than six months, following October’s Lion Air disaster which killed all 189 people on board.

The 737 MAX series is Boeing’s fastest-selling jet; Southwest, United and American Airlines have all ordered 100 or more of the series, according to Boeing’s most recent figures, with each airline already operating several MAX 8s.

Local residents watch as recovery personnel scour the crater where Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 went down.

There is plenty of activity at the scene of the crash, about a two-hour drive from the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. The remains of the aircraft sit in a crater about the size of a basketball court, where Kenyan Red Cross officials wearing face masks and gloves are gingerly searching for debris, belongings and body parts.

Personal items such as handbags and knapsacks are being searched for identification documents, while parts from the plane are being placed in a separate pile for further inspection. Two large diggers are on hand, clearing soil from the scene.

Hundreds of local residents are surrounding the perimeter of the site.

Workers collect wreckage from the downed plane.

Sunday’s tragic plane crash has deeply affected those at Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport.

Esayse Mengistu, an Ethiopian Airlines ground service employee who is usually based at the airport but was at the crash site with a team from the airline, told CNN that identifying the remains of the 157 people who perished in the accident was difficult, and that to have such a terrible accident happen so close to home had shaken many to their cores.

“It’s hard to differentiate whose body parts are whose since the plane is in pieces,” Mengistu said.  

“It feels like we’ve lost members of our family, our people, everyone has been deeply affected by this. Not just me but all Ethiopian people.”

This is the Facebook post that Professor Pius Adesanmi wrote before boarding the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302.

Adesanmi, an academic and former CNN commentator, quoted a poignant bible verse.

“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me,” the verse, identified in the post as Psalm 139:9-10, reads.

Adesanmi is smiling as he takes what appears to be a selfie in the airport. Out of shot, he holds his Canadian passport and boarding pass.

Writing for CNN in 2014, he explained how social media is allowing Africans both at home and in the diaspora to shape opinion about the story of their continent.

Airline staff pose in front of a flydubai Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft during a ceremony in the Gulf emirate ahead of the airline's debut flight to Beirut in 2009.

United Arab Emirates’ airline Flydubai said it “remained confident in the airworthiness” of its Boeing 737 Max fleet in a statement on Monday.

“We are monitoring the situation and continue to be in touch with Boeing. We remain confident in the airworthiness of our fleet. The safety of our passengers and crew is our first priority,” the airline’s spokesperson said in a statement sent to CNN.

Flydubai has 11 Boeing 737 MAX 8 and 2 Boeing 737 MAX 9 in operation.

“The introduction to our fleet of a new model of aircraft is regulated by the FAA. This is also approved by the relevant authorities and regulators. The aviation sector is highly regulated and flydubai rigorously adheres to all regulations,” the spokesperson said.

The airline said it was saddened to hear about the tragic loss of the Ethiopian Airlines flight.

 From CNN’s Sarah El Sirgany in Abu Dhabi

The scene of the crash.

Gebeyehu Fikadu, an eyewitness to Sunday’s fatal crash about two-hour drive south of the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, told CNN that the plane was “swerving and dipping” and belching smoke as it came down.  

“I was in the mountain nearby when I saw the plane reach the mountain before turning around with a lot of smoke coming from the back and then crashed at this site,” said the 25-year-old, who was collecting firewood on the mountain with three other locals when it happened.

“It crashed with a large boom. When it crashed luggage and clothes came burning down.

“Before it crashed the plane was swerving and dipping with a lot of smoke coming from the back and also making a very loud unpleasant sound before hitting the ground.”

All 157 people on board the flight died in the accident.

Kenyan Cabinet Secretary of Transport James Macharia and Ethiopian Airlines’ Kenya country manager, Yilma Goshu, held a press conference at the Jomo Kenyatta International airport in Nairobi.

The two officials said that the focus now would be on conducting the “investigation in line with international standards” and on “comforting and counselling relatives, friends and family” of passengers on board the flight. So far they managed to contact 25 families, they confirmed.

Goshu said that relatives of the victims who wished to travel to Addis would be assisted, and the government would provide accommodation and updates to the investigation.

He added that Ethiopian Airlines had grounded its Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet, “as a precautionary safety measure. He noted that the decision to “suspend the planes from service” did not mean that the incident was related to “defects with (this) specific fleet.” 

A Singapore Airlines (SIA) plane and its subsidiary SilkAir plane -- not one of its six MAX 8 planes -- taxiing at Changi International Airport, Singapore. 

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will continue to use its six Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes. The airline plans to proceed with an order of 31 planes, according to a statement sent to CNN.

“We are currently monitoring the situation closely and at this point our Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft are continuing to operate as scheduled,” the statement reads. 

Boeing's logo on display in Chicago this file photo from 2009.

Boeing’s bestselling passenger jet is facing increased scrutiny after being involved in a second deadly crash in less than six months, threatening to tarnish the US plane maker’s reputation for safety.

The Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed Sunday and the Lion Air flight that crashed in October were brand-new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. And both crashed minutes into flight.

“A formal investigation will need to be conducted into this new crash. It’s important not to speculate as to its causes. A final, conclusive report has yet to be issued in the case of the Lion crash,” said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor at aviation research firm FlightGlobal.

“That said, having two crashes of a brand new type in a short time is an unprecedented state of events,” he added. “It is inevitable that this will affect perceptions about the 737 MAX family.”

Read more here

In addition to Ethiopian Airlines’ decision to suspend its MAX 8 fleet from flying service, and China’s civil aviation authority’s blanket ban on the model being used, Cayman Airways has announced that it would ground its MAX 8 jets.

The airline is working with both Boeing and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands (CAACI) to “monitor the investigation” unfolding in Ethiopia, the Caribbean island-based airline’s President and CEO Fabian Whorms said in a statement.

“While the cause of this sad loss is undetermined at this time, we stand by our commitment to putting the safety of our passengers and crew first by maintaining complete and undoubtable safe operations, and as such, we have taken the decision to suspend operations of both our new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, effective from Monday March 11, 2019, until more information is received,” Whorms said.

Visitors watch as a Boeing 737 Max lands after an air display during the Farnborough Airshow, south west of London, in July 2018.

The 737 MAX series is the fastest-selling aircraft in the company’s history, according to Boeing, with 4,700 orders from 100 customers.

The MAX 8 and 9 are already in service. They will be joined by the MAX 7 later this year and the MAX 10 in 2020. It was a MAX 8 that crashed on Sunday outside the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

The planes can seat 138 to 204 passengers, depending on the model and seat configuration.

“Airlines are taking advantage of the MAX’s incredible range and flexibility, offering passengers connections to smaller cities around the globe including transatlantic and trans-continental routes,” the Boeing corporate website says.

The MAXs, with their distinctive forked “winglets,” are in use across the globe including by multiple flag carriers.

Nigerian-Canadian Professor Pius Adesanmi has been identified as a victim of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crash, the Nigerian government said.

Laolu Akande, a special assistant to the Nigerian vice president, tweeted:

In 2014, Adesanmi wrote for CNN Opinion about how the telling of Africa’s story should include the voices of its diaspora.

Ethiopian Airlines has grounded its fleet of Boeing 737-MAX 8 planes, it said in a tweet Monday.

The grounding went into effect following the crash of one of its Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in a remote, hilly area that is a two-hour drive from the capital of Addis Ababa on Sunday. All 157 people on board died. The airline’s Boeing 737-MAX 8s will remain out of action “until further notice,” according to the tweet.

“Although we don’t yet know the cause of the accident, we had to decide to ground the particular fleet as extra safety precaution,” the airline said.

A worker walks past a giant autoclave, which provides superheated pressure needed in the construction of the new 777X composite wing at the Boeing 777X Composite Wing Center in Everett, Washington.

Boeing has delayed plans to unveil its huge new 777X jetliner this week following the deadly crash of one of the company’s aircraft in Ethiopia, according to a company spokesman.

Boeing announced last week that the 777X, which can carry as many as 425 passengers, would make its “debut to the world” on Wednesday.

The spokesman didn’t say when the event is now likely to take place but added that there are no other changes to the aircraft’s schedule. The first 777Xs are slated to be delivered in 2020.

A man carries a piece of debris at the crash site of a Nairobi-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Sunday.

If you’re just tuning in, an Ethiopian Airlines flight heading from Addis Abba to Nairobi crashed Sunday, killing all 157 on board.

The plane lost contact at about 8:44 a.m. local time, six minutes after taking off.

The CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam, said the pilot had reported technical difficulties after takeoff and asked for clearance to return to Addis Ababa. He said the pilot had flown more than 8,000 hours and had an “excellent flying record.”

Right now, it’s unclear what caused the crash. Investigators are currently searching for the flight data recorders. GebreMariam, who visited the site, also said it was too early to tell if the plane crash-landed or conducted an emergency landing.

“As it is a fresh incident, we have not been able to determine the cause. As I said, it is a brand new airplane with no technical remarks, flown by a senior pilot and there is no cause that we can attribute at this time,” GebreMariam said.

The plane that crashed was a Boeing 737 MAX 8, the same model as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed soon after takeoff from Jakarta in 2018 – killing 189 people. There is no evidence that the two incidents are linked in causality.

Most of the victims were from Kenya, though the plane was carrying passengers from around the world.

Many worked for the United Nations.

Barack Obama sent out a short tweet offering “deepest sympathies” from his and his wife, the former First Lady Michelle Obama, to “all who knew the victims of today’s plane crash in Ethiopia.”

Visitors look at Boeing models at Airshow China 2018, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province, in November 2018.

China is one of the world’s biggest users of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft – and it has just grounded them all.

The country has 97 of the planes in operation domestically, according to state media.

The “Big Three” state-owned carriers – Air China, China Eastern and China Southern – have the largest number of Max 8s in their fleets.

The MAX 8 aircraft are currently suspended from operation, according to the country’s aviation authority.

The Chinese government has grounded all Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes for domestic flights, after an Ethiopian Airlines plane of the same model crashed Sunday killing everyone onboard.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration issued a statement Monday outlining similarities in yesterday’s crash, which killed 157 people, to the Lion Air flight that went down over the Java Sea last October, killing all 189 people on board.

“Given in both air crashes, the aircrafts were newly delivered Boeing 737-8, and both accidents occur during the take-off, they share certain similarities,” the authority said in the statement.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 in China is now suspended until 6 p.m. Monday evening, the authority said.

Cedric Asiavugwa, a third-year law student at Georgetown, Washington DC, died in Sunday’s Ethiopian Airlines crash, the school announced. Asiavugwa was on his way home to Nairobi, Kenya, following the death of his fiance’s mother.

He spent eight years in the US and in Africa studying Catholic and Jesuit education, according to the school.

Asiavugwa, who was born in Mombasa, Kenya, worked in the university’s campus ministry office and served as a residential minister tending to first year undergraduates.

 “Cedric’s deep commitment to social justice informed his many pursuits at the law school. A Blume Public Interest Law Scholar, a Global Law Scholar, and a Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Scholar, Cedric was studying toward a joint J.D.-L.L.M. degree in International Business and Economic Law,” the statement read.

Nineteen United Nations staff members were among those killed in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 plane crash Sunday, according to a statement from the UN. 

Earlier, a UN official had announced personnel being among the dead but an official number was not initially available.

In a statement obtained by CNN, Canadian officials confirmed 18 Canadian citizens were aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed Sunday morning.

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Chrystia Freeland said she was “shocked and saddened” by the tragedy that killed 157 people and extended her condolences.

The Russian Embassy in Ethiopia just tweeted the names of three Russian citizens who were on the plane:

Overall, Ethiopian Airlines is one of the leading airlines in the world with a strong safety record, CNN aviation expert Richard Quest explained.

Ethiopian Airlines operated Flight ET302 that crashed shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing everyone on board. But in general, the airline is known as a safe option for those flying in the region, Quest said.

“It’s one of those airlines that when you have worries about any other, you always say, I’ll take Ethiopian,” he said.

Watch his comments below:

United Nations staff members were aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight that crashed on Sunday, according to Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

“The Secretary-General was deeply saddened at the tragic loss of lives in the airplane crash today near Addis Ababa. He conveys his heartfelt sympathies and solidarity to the victims’ families and loved ones, including those of United Nations staff members, as well as sincere condolences to the Government and people of Ethiopia,” Dujarric said in a statement.

Dujarric said the UN is working with Ethiopian officials to get details on UN personnel who died.

A UN official said there were a number of UN staff on board and there may have also been some freelance interpreters. The difficulty is that UN members don’t always travel with their UN passports so the organization does not have a full number at the moment.

More than 4,700 political, business and civil society officials are gathering in Nairobi for the UN Environment Assembly, which runs from March 11 to 15.

Rescue teams collect remains of bodies amid debris at the crash site of Ethiopia Airlines near Bishoftu, a town some 60 kilometres southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019.

In addition, staff members from the World Food Programme were on board the flight, WFP Executive Director David Beasley said.

“The WFP family mourns today…WFP staff were among those aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight,” Beasley tweeted, adding the organization “will do all that is humanly possible to help the families at this painful time.”

“Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers,” he added. 

Slovakian lawmaker Anton Hrnko announced Sunday on Facebook that his wife and two children were among the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash.

“With huge sadness I’m announcing that my beloved wife Blanka, son Martin and daughter Michala died earlier today when the plane crashed…if you had known them, please think of them in a quiet memory,” the Slovak National Council member posted.

The validity of this post was confirmed to CNN by a spokesman for the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

Ethiopian Airlines said four of the 157 victims aboard the flight had Slovakian nationality.

The Tamarind Group, which says on its website that it owns and operates several restaurants and leisure operations in Africa, announced on Facebook that CEO Jonathan Seex was aboard the flight that crashed on Sunday.

“It is with immense shock and grief to inform you of the tragic news that Tamarind CEO, Jonathan Seex, was on the ill-fated Ethiopian Airlines flight,” the post read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, the Tamarind community and all the others who have suffered unfathomable losses.”

Boeing said it will travel to the site where its Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft crashed in Ethiopia.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the same type of plane as the Indonesian Lion Air jet that crashed last October. There is no suggestion yet as to what caused the latest disaster, and no evidence that the two incidents are linked.

People walk at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 10, 2019.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a statement on the devastating news from Ethiopia on Sunday. 

“Our thoughts are with all the victims on Flight ET302, including the Canadians who were on board, and everyone who lost friends, family, or loved ones,” he said.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement on Twitter saying two Israelis died in the plane crash.

In addition, Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas issued a statement paying tribute to the victims of Ethiopian Airlines crash, including five Germans who died.

“Today we received the terrible news about the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines plane in the direction of Nairobi, which has killed so many people. In these hard times, our thoughts are with the families and relatives of the victims, to whom I express my heartfelt condolences,” Maas said in a statement on Sunday.

The US Embassy in Addis Ababa and a State Department official confirmed there were Americans aboard the Ethiopian Airlines flight and said the US Government extends its condolences.

See the tweet from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa below:

In addition, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a statement expressing his sadness on behalf of the country.

“The thoughts of the South African people are with the sisterly people of all the affected countries, especially the sisterly people of Ethiopia and Kenya,” the statement said.

The National Transportation Safety Board says it is sending a team of four to assist in the investigation of the Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed all 157 people on board. There is no information yet about when the team may travel.

The flight lost contact at 08:44 a.m. local time, six minutes after taking off from Bole International Airport in the Ethiopian capital, and went down near Bishoftu.

People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 10, 2019.

Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde GebreMariam told reporters at a press conference that the pilot of flight ET 302 that crashed Sunday morning had reported technical difficulties and asked for clearance to return to Addis Ababa.

He was given clearance to turn back, according to Mr. GebreMariam, citing the Air Traffic Controllers record.

The senior Ethiopian Airlines pilot had flown more than 8,000 hours. He had an “excellent flying record,” according to the CEO.

A routine maintenance check didn’t reveal any problems, he said. GebreMariam said they have not yet determined the cause of the crash.

GebreMariam also confirmed the company owns 6 other 737 Max 8 aircraft which are in service. Asked about whether the company would be grounding them he explained they wouldn’t as “we don’t know the cause of the accident.”

The Boeing 737 Max 8 airplane had flown into Addis Ababa Sunday morning from Johannesburg on Flight ET858.

The CEO has visited the crash site today. He said the plane “is now right inside the ground” and it was not possible to identify whether it was an emergency landing or a crash. He said there was still smoke at the site when he visited.

A general view shows the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 10, 2019.

For the second time in less than six months, a brand-new Boeing aircraft crashed minutes into a flight.

The Ethiopian Airlines tragedy on Sunday comes months after a Lion Air flight went down over the Java Sea in late October, killing all 189 people on board.

There is no suggestion yet as to what caused the latest disaster, and no evidence that the two incidents are linked. All that is known, however, is that both flights took place on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 – a new model recently unveiled to great fanfare by the US aviation giant, that saw its first flight less than two years ago.

The plane that crashed on Sunday morning was delivered to Ethiopian Airlines in November.

In a statement, Boeing said it is deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of those on board.

“We extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families and loved ones of the passengers and crew on board and stand ready to support the Ethiopian Airlines team. A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board,” the company said.

Read more about the Boeing 737 MAX 8 at the link below:

RENTON, WA - JANUARY 29: A Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliner lifts off for its first flight on January 29, 2016 in Renton, Washington. The 737 MAX is the newest of Boeing's most popular airliner featuring more fuel efficient engines and redesigned wings. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)

Related article Ethiopian Airlines crash is second disaster involving Boeing 737 MAX 8 in months

Ethiopian Airlines says there are no survivors after a Boeing 737 crashed near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on Sunday morning. The airline believes there were 149 passengers and eight crew members on board the flight.

The victims are of 35 different nationalities, an airline spokeswoman says, including:

The flight was headed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya.