Rwanda has joined a number of countries across the world that has banned Boeing 787 Max 8 and Max 9 from flying over its airspace. This follows Sunday’s crash of a Nairobi-bound Boeing 737 MAX – 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines just minutes after takeoff from the country’s capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 on board. One Rwandan national, Jackson Musoni, who works with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Darfur, Sudan, was aboard the ill-fated plane and also perished in the accident. The same model, flown by Lion Air, crashed off the coast of Indonesia last year in October, killing all 189 on board. In a statement signed by the Director General of the agency, Silas Udahemuka, the authority said that the ban takes effect immediately and remain in effect till further notice. “The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority in exercise of its powers under article 16 of the Rwandan Aviation Law directs pilots and aircraft operators of any Boeing 737 – 8 Max and Boeing 737 – 9 Max, not to conduct any flights in the airspace of Rwanda with immediate effect,” reads part of the statement. Following the accident which led to investigations on the suitability of the plane model airlines across the world have grounded the model while civil aviation authorities have banned it from their respective airspaces. The black boxes from Ethiopian Airlines crashed flight arrived in France on Thursday for analysis, a key step in a probe that could help determine how long Boeing Co.’s 737 MAX jetliner remains grounded around the world. The devices contain flight information and voice recordings which will enable investigators determine the cause of the crash. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
