ROME – The Italian Civil Aviation Authority ENAC has grounded flights with the Boeing 737 Max 8 aeroplane. The move follows concerns over the model after Sunday's Ethiopian Airlines crash in which 157 people died, including eight Italians.

 Air Italy, the only Italian company that has three of these aircrafts in its fleet, has grounded them. In fact, the routes travelled by the three aircrafts are covered by other carriers that can be used to protect customers.

 “For Air Italy, the safety of its passengers and crews is the main priority. In relation to the B737 Max 8, all three aircrafts in the fleet will not be operational by this evening, in accordance with the directive issued by ENAC,” the company said Tuesday in a statement.

 “All the aircrafts in our fleet are always fully compliant with the instructions of the regulatory authorities and with the operating procedures of the manufacturer,” Air Italy added.

 Air Italy “will follow all the directives to continue to guarantee the highest level of safety and protection for our passengers and crew.” As for the operations in progress, “Air Italy will provide to re-protect all passengers,” the statement concluded.

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