CHINESE authorities have instructed local airlines to suspend air travel services by the Boeing  Co 737 MAX 8, following the fatal crash of the Ethiopian airline where 157 passengers on board perished.

According to a Reuters report, China’s aviation regulator has grounded nearly 100 Boeing Co 737 MAX 8 aircraft operated by its airlines, more than a quarter of the global fleet of the jets.

China’s Civil Aviation Administration also made reference to a similar Indonesian crash and gave domestic airlines a deadline of 6 pm local time (10:00 GMT) on Monday to execute its order to ground all 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Commercial operations involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 will recommence only after the Civil Aviation Administration has confirmed that relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety has been put in place.

The administration noted similarities between the Ethiopian and Indonesian crash while emphasizing its astute concern for the safety of passengers.

“Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737-8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity,” the statement read in part.

The Chinese government explained that the order to ground all models of the aircraft is a mark of their standard that frowns at leaving the safety of passengers to chance.

Meanwhile, many Nigerians are still grieving the loss of Pius Adesanmi and Abiodun Bashua in the Ethiopian air crash.

According to reports, the plane with registration number ET-AVJ, had passengers from over 30 countries on board and departed from Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa at 08:38 am and crashed at take-off near the town of Bishoftu, 62 kilometres southeast of the capital Addis Ababa.