Two US airlines fly the 737 MAX 8 -- the type of jet that crashed last year in Indonesia killing 189 people and on Sunday in Ethiopia killing all 157 on board.
American Airlines -- which flies 24 of the new planes -- said in a statement to CNN on Monday that it is monitoring the investigation in Ethiopia and following last year's Federal Aviation Administration directive after the crash in Indonesia of Lion Air Flight 610.
The airline "continues to collaborate with the FAA and other regulatory authorities" and it has "full confidence in the aircraft," the statement said.
The crashes of two new jets during such a short time period has focused extraordinary attention on the 737 MAX 8, its operators and national regulators -- so much so that Ethiopian Airlines, China and Indonesia have grounded all planes of that type, nationwide. In the Caribbean, Cayman Airways has decided to ground its 737 MAX 8s.
Southwest -- which includes 34 737 MAX 8s in its fleet -- said in a statement it doesn't plan to change its operational policies or procedures and it remains confident in the safety of its entire fleet. "We have been in contact with Boeing and will continue to stay close to the investigation as it progresses," Southwest said in the statement.
