Four African airlines were flying the Boeing 737 Max 8 passenger plane, before Sunday’s crash.
South Africa’s privately owned Comair received its first plane just two weeks ago, becoming the first airline in southern Africa to operate the passenger jet.
The airline has ordered seven more, with one expected to arrive later this month.
Comair has issued a statement saying it “will continue to monitor the various investigations by the relevant authorities and are in close contact with both Boeing and the SACAA [South African Civil Aviation Authority]”.
According to Boeing, state-owned Mauritania Airlines was the first to operate the plane in Africa, receiving its first delivery in December 2017.
Ethiopian Airlines received its first Max 8 in July 2018. The country had placed an order for 30 Max jets.
Ethiopian Airlines has now grounded its 737 Max 8 fleet following the crash.
Morocco’s state-owned Royal Air Maroc received its first 737 Max 8 in December last year, and received a second one in February.
In September 2018, privately-owned Air Peace of Nigeria signed an order for 10 737 MAX 8 airplanes.
About three months later, Boeing announced that Lagos-based Green Africa Airways planned to buy up to 100 of the jets as the airline continued preparations to begin commercial operations.
The proposed deal was worth $11.7bn (£9bn), and it would be Africa’s largest aircraft deal if finalised, Boeing added.
-BBC
