Multiple countries and operators opted to ground Boeing 737 MAX fleets until investigation into Ethiopian Airlines crash provides answers whether these planes are safe. In light of these events, only a third of global MAX fleet remains operational.
At the time of writing this article, 118 of global MAX fleet remain in operation, with over two thirds of it located in the United States. According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data, there are 74 aircraft of the type registered in the U.S. FAA upholds its position that the planes are safe and there is no need of grounding them.
Besides the United States, only a handful of countries still allow 737 MAX operations. Of these countries, the biggest fleet is in Canada. Air Canada (ADH2) and WestJet have 37 planes (based on planespotters.net data) combined. Meanwhile, another Canadian operator ‒ Sunwing Airlines ‒ has suspended its four 737 MAXs voluntarily.
Six 737 MAX 9s, belonging to COPA Airlines, remain in Panama.
While the Russian aviation authority, Rosaviation, announced it would not enforce a ban, the sole operator of Boeing 737 MAX in the country, S7 Airlines, said that its subsidiary company Globus Airlines would not operate the plane anymore on early morning of March 13, 2019.
Shortly after, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand decided to ban the aircraft from its airspace, forcing Thai Lion Air to ground its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 9.
American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) , Southwest Airlines (LUV) for the United States and Air Canada (ADH2) and WestJet for Canada still uses the Boeing 737 MAX 8, while United Airlines and Copa Airlines (Panama) operates the longer variant, the Boeing 737 MAX 9