Caribbean Airlines not yet flying Boeing 737 MAX-8, promises “strict safety measures” for new planes

Last Updated on Monday, 11 March 2019, 14:01 by Denis Chabrol

Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL), which late last year inked a deal to buy several Boeing 737 MAX-8 planes – the same model used by the Ethiopian Airlines that crashed and killed 157 persons aboard – on Monday said it would abide by strict safety measures before adding new aircraft to its fleet.

“Caribbean Airlines will incorporate the procedural and training elements necessary to comply with all regulations and instructions before any new aircraft is introduced to its fleet,” CAL said in a statement.

The Trinidad-headquartered international carrier said it “currently uses Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft” and made it clear that “Caribbean Airlines currently does not have the Boeing MAX 8 aircraft as part of its fleet. The airline uses the Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft (this is not the MAX-8).”

CAL on November 21, 2018 announced that it had chosen to “enhance and renew its single-aisle fleet” with the 737 MAX-8 and had planned to “take delivery of 12 MAX airplanes in the coming years”.

CAL noted that the airline industry is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world and there  are rigorous processes and regulatory procedures to follow before any aircraft is brought into service.

Referring to the crash of Ethiopia Airlines’ 737 MAX-8 plane at the weekend, CAL noted that a probe was underway and the “cause of this accident remains undetermined at this time. CAL expressed its heartfelt sympathy to the families and loved ones of the passengers and employees impacted by Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302.

A Boeing 737 MAX-8 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air crashed last October killing all 189 persons on board.

China, Ethiopia and Indonesia have since grounded their 737 MAX-8 planes.