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Norwegian has ‘no plans' to ground Boeing 737 Max 8 jets

March 11th, 2019 12:07 PM

By Siobhan Cronin

Oscar Wilde on the tailfin of one of Norwegian's Boeing 737 MAX jets

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NORWEGIAN airlines have no plans to ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes, following the tragedies involving the aircraft in Ethiopia and earlier in Indonesia.

NORWEGIAN airlines have no plans to ground their Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes, following the tragedies involving the aircraft in Ethiopia and earlier in Indonesia.

Norwegian Air had 18 of these jets in its fleet of 164 aircraft at the end of 2018 and is expected to take delivery of several more over the next few years, taking the total to more than 70 by the end of 2021, the company has said in recent announcements.

It has previously said that it plans to use the jet on some of its transatlantic routes from Ireland, including from Cork.

But in a a statement to The Southern Star today, it said: ‘Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by this tragic accident. All of our Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are operating as normal. We are in close dialogue with Boeing and follow their and the aviation authorities’ instructions and recommendations. Our passengers’ safety is and will always be our top priority,’ said Tomas Hesthammer, Norwegian’s director of flight operations.

Some of the Norwegian’s 737 Max planes currently in operation feature portraits of well known Irish people on their tail fins, including explorer Tom Crean and writer Oscar Wilde.  

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