India’s Aviation Authority has placed the country’s Boeing 737-800 fleet under “enhanced surveillance” after a plane crashed in China.
It said it dispatched teams “to oversee flight procedures, airworthiness and operations.”
A China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 with 132 people on board crashed in southern China on Monday.
Rescue teams are working at the scene, but it’s not yet known what caused the crash.
The plane was en route from Kunming to Guangzhou when it crashed to the ground and caught fire. China Eastern Airlines has grounded all of its 737-800s.
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“Flight safety is a serious business and we are studying the situation closely,” said Arun Kumar, head of the Civil Union’s Directorate-General for India.
“In the meantime, we’re focusing on increased surveillance of our 737 fleet.” Indian companies SpiceJet, Vistara and Air India Express all have Boeing 737-800s in their fleets.
The BBC has reached out to regulators in the US, Europe and China for comment.
US planemaker Boeing said it was supporting investigations in China and communicating with the US National Transportation Safety Board.
Boeing CEO David Calhoun said: “We have been in close communication with our customers and regulators since the accident and have offered the full support of our technical experts for the investigation led by the Civil Aviation Administration of China.”
He added that the company will “do whatever we can to support our client and the accident investigation at this difficult time, guided by our commitment to safety, transparency and integrity at every step.”
According to aeronautics analysis firm Cirium, 4,208 Boeing 737-800 passenger planes are in service, with more than a quarter based in China.
Investigators are still determining the reason for the crash in a forested area of the Guangxi Hills and will be looking for information in the plane’s “black box” flight recorders.
Boeing has been trying to recover from two deadly crashes of its 737 MAX plane that killed 346 passengers and crew.
Cai von Rumohr, an analyst at investment bank Cowen, said: “Given Boeing’s problems with the 737 MAX, there is some chance consumers will not want to fly on a 737 until it is determined that the cause of the crash in China Eastern is not.” one is design or manufacturing issue.
“Therefore, it will be crucial to isolate the cause of the crash.”
Boeing’s share price fell 3.5% in New York on Monday.
China Eastern Airlines has set up a hotline for people seeking information about those on board. She expressed “heartfelt condolences to the deceased passengers and crew.” The company’s share price fell more than 6% on Tuesday in Shanghai.
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