People walk at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash. Reuters
In this photo taken from the Ethiopian Airlines Facebook page, the CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde Gebremariam, looks at the wreckage of the plane. AP Photo
People walk past a part of the wreckage at the scene. Reuters
The scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash. Reuters
Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 (ET-AVM), the same aircraft that crashed in Ethiopia, is seen at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, when it was first delivered to Ethiopia in July 2018. EPA
A Chinese group look at the arrival schedule board at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. AFP
Family members react at Addis Ababa international airport. AP Photo
Kenya Airports Authority workers hang an information notice at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. Reuters
Airlines across the world grounded their fleets of the Boeing 737 Max 8, the plane involved in the Ethiopian Airlines crash which killed 157 on Sunday.
Ethiopia Airlines announced they had grounded all Boeing 737-8 Max aircraft on Monday, as they marked a national day of mourning.
China ordered domestic airlines to suspend commercial operations of the plane, a day after the flight to Nairobi crashed minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa.
A FlyDubai spokeswoman said the company remained confident in the airworthiness of its fleet but was in touch with Boeing. Flydubai has ordered 251 737 Max planes, of which 14 have been delivered.
China's Civil Aviation Administration said domestic airlines had until 6pm local time (2pm UAE) to ground all 737 Max 8 aircraft.
Operation of the model will only resume after "confirming the relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety", the administration said in a statement.
The aviation authority said it will also contact the US Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.
The Kenya-bound Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 crashed minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa on Sunday, killing all everyone on board, including eight from China.
"Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity," the aviation authority said.
China is an important market for the US aircraft company, accounting for about one-fifth of worldwide deliveries of Boeing 737 Max models.
The company has delivered 76 of the models to Chinese airlines, which have ordered another 104, according to data from the aircraft maker's website updated through January.
Boeing and joint venture partner Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) operate a plant in the eastern city of Zhoushan that completes the interiors of 737 Max planes for Chinese airlines.
The factory delivered its first Max 8 plane to Air China in December.
Indonesia’s transportation safety committee said on Monday it will discuss the possibility of grounding its Boeing 737 Max jets operated by the nation’s airlines. In India, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and the country’s regulators have asked Boeing for information following the Ethiopia crash.
Cayman Airways, the flag carrier airline of the Cayman Islands, says it is suspending operations of both its Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft effective March 11 “until more information is received”.
Meanwhile, Boeing said it has postponed the debut of its 777X model and related media events scheduled for this week because of the accident. There is no change to the plane's schedule or progress, Boeing said.
The Ethiopian jetliner left Addis Ababa at 8.38am local time, and contact was lost six minutes later, the airline said in a statement.
There were people from 35 nations on board, including 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and eight Americans. The United Nations, which is hosting an environmental conference this week in Nairobi, said it lost 19 staff members in the crash.
The pilot of the ET302 reported problems shortly after take-off and was cleared to return to the airport, said the airline’s chief executive officer, Tewolde GebreMariam.
The 737 Max 8 had not had any apparent mechanical issues on an earlier flight from Johannesburg, he said.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours. The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
Favourite quote: “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook.
Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
