ETHIOPIAN Airlines, owners of the ill-fated Boeing 737 Max – 8 that crashed on Sunday, have opened condolence registers in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu.

There were 157 passengers aboard the plane which was flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya.

The airline opened the registers at its offices in the four cities for the victims of ET Flight 302.

The development came in the wake of the global outrage triggered by the crash.

Two Nigerians – Ambassador Abiodun Bashau and Prof Pius Adesanmi – were among the victims.

The General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Mrs. Firihiewot Mekonnen, yesterday received the first set of visitors at the airline’s Lagos Office.

At the Abuja Airport, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunomah, was received by Ethiopian Airlines Sales Manager Tilahun Tadesse.

Mrs. Mekonnen thanked Nigerians for standing by her organisation “in this moment of grief”.

“We thank the Nigerian President and the good people of Nigeria for the condolence message from the Government of Nigeria.

“We have always counted on Nigeria as an African partner and brother and this sad occasion once again proves the bond. We commiserate with Nigeria over the loss to humanity of the two great Nigerians on that flight. We have since reached out to the families involved. Ethiopian Airlines will not abandon its responsibilities to them.”

Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all B737-8Max airplanes in its fleet. The airline was not flying the B737 Max-8 on its Nigerian routes. The B777, B787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 are the aircraft deployed daily to Nigeria.

The crash has raised questions about the safety of the aircraft type.

The two crashes involving Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air has further put a question mark on the safety integrity of Boeing 737 Max-8.

Investigations have been launched into the circumstances leading to the crash but there heightened anxiety among global passengers booked on airline flight for carriers that have Boeing 737- Max 8 on their fleet.

Britain yesterday led other nations, including Malaysia, Oman, Australia, China and Singapore to temporarily ban the aircraft model in their airspaces.

A local operator, Air Peace, which had ordered for 10 units of the aircraft type, said it was not suspending its order.

It, however, promised to watch ongoing investigations before taking a decisive step.

Industry regulator Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) gave assurance on the state of aircraft flying in Nigeria’s airspace.

The NCAA said there was no cause for worry, as no Boeing 737 Max-8 was being operateed in the country.

Its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, assured the flying public of their safety, stating that there is no cause for alarm.

He said in a statement: “Presently, the accident aircraft type, Boeing 737 Max-8 is not in operation in the country. However, the authority, in line with its Safety Oversight mandate enshrined in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is consciously monitoring the development (s) with a view to take the necessary steps that will enhance the safety of all aircraft in operation within the Nigerian airspace.”

“This is to assure the public that NCAA will continue to ensure that safety regulations are strictly adhered to for the safety of all in Nigeria. Our heart is with the Airline and families of the victims of the accident.”

Also yesterday, United States (U.S.) regulators ordered Boeing to make urgent improvements to the model and insisted that they would take action if safety issues are detected.

But the U.S. demand was not enough to reassure aviation authorities in Britain and four other countries — Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Oman — who temporarily banned all 737 MAX planes from their airspace.

China, an important market for Boeing, had already ordered domestic airlines to suspend operations of the plane Monday, same step taken by Indonesia.

The UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement headlined “Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft” that “as a precautionary measure” it had decided “to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace”.

Aviation regulators in Singapore, a global air travel hub and popular transit point for long-haul travellers, said they would work with the country’s main airport and “the affected airlines to minimise any impact to travelling passengers”.

One Singaporean airline, SilkAir, uses 737 MAX aircraft while a handful of foreign airlines operate the planes in the city-state.

In its statement announcing the 737 MAX ban, Malaysia’s aviation regulator noted the two recent fatal accidents involving the model.

Britain joined four other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace as a growing number of airlines around the world grounded the jets following a second deadly accident in just five months.

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said Tuesday it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

Norwegian, which operates 18 of the planes, will keep them grounded pending advice from aviation authorities, Operations Chief Tomas Hesthammer said.
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Source: https://www.nairafame.com/2019/03/ethiopian-air-opens-condolence.html

RIP

Words can't express how saddened we Nigerians are to hear of your untimely death, thou most of us never noticed you when alive, but we discovered how great you were.


Please continue to RIP & May God Almighty console the entire family of the bereaved.


Shalom!

RIP to the dead


Next level everywhere

No one is safe

Na death come make this man turn to celebrity.. Tufiakwa

RIP to the deceased ones

Really sad. Still shudder whenever I remember 5 family members were on board that flight!

A truly tragic event.
Their souls rest in peace (Eccl 9:5'10)

Rest in peace, PROF

Ehya

Nonsense

It is so disheartening.
It is only God that can comfort the families they left behind.
May God rest their souls.

When will Nigeria ban that aircraft like other countries?

B

grandstar:
A truly tragic event.
Their souls rest in peace (Eccl 9:5'10)

The living know that they'll die but the dead knows nothing at all...

Continue to rest in peace.. Heaven just gained another angel

Artistree:

The living know that they'll die but the dead knows nothing at all...

Yes my sister. And they have a hope of a resurrection in they are in Jehovah's memory (John 5:28,29)

Afonja now, why was Enugu included on the list? I thought they are supposed to be using only Lagos airport? SMH...Wicked things!

May the dead RIP,
Mehn i feel bad for the Boeing comapny!
If care is not taken, they are about to go bankrupt!
When badluck locates you, it's stench can wipe away 50yrs of glory!

InaNla:
Words can't express how saddened we Nigerians are to hear of your untimely death, thou most of us never noticed you when alive, but we discovered how great you were.


Please continue to RIP & May God Almighty console the entire family of the bereaved.


Shalom!

You have no idea. Good people hardly ever last.

Some of us were lucky to know him while he was alive. And that has added to the deep, deep pain of it. This one pained me beyond words.

May his wife and two daughters and mom be consoled.

RIP Prof!

rummmy:
I don't pity the man, he is an afonja, he voted for next level, he should deal with it any where he is. I'm not ripn him...quote me and receive thunder strike

Its so inhumane of you to have said this,even the major actors, buhari and atiku can't be this cruel to themselves

freedomforall30:
Afonja now, why was Enugu included on the list? I thought they are supposed to be using only Lagos airport? SMH...Wicked things!

Which part of the head did you wake up with? Have we lost the sense of humanity on the altars of tribalism and ethnic chivalry?

Will persons in first class or business class also die in a crash ?


With such payment

freedomforall30:
Afonja now, why was Enugu included on the list? I thought they are supposed to be using only Lagos airport? SMH...Wicked things!

biafranation:
Look at afonjas pretending as if they care "condolences, rest in peace.", really afonjas? When last did you say the same to the people in Benue that your selfish and self centered politics is responsible for their killings? A behavior Lord Luggard voiced out vehemently even in 1920s. When last did you say condolences to the millions of Biafran children starved to death by Awolowo? Hypocrites...cry me a river!

rummmy:
I don't pity the man, he is an afonja, he voted for next level, he should deal with it any where he is. I'm not ripn him...quote me and receive thunder strike

KidsNEXTdoor:
RIP to the dead


Next level everywhere

No one is safe

It doesn't matter whether you guys are Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba. But with youths with this kind of reasoning, the future of Nigeria is at risk

rummmy:
I don't pity the man, he is an afonja, he voted for next level, he should deal with it any where he is. I'm not ripn him...quote me and receive thunder strike

May God have mercy on you.

Prof was a constant critic of PMB.