The US government says it has no reason to ground the Boeing 737 MAX that has crashed twice since October (BA)

Boeing 737 Max 8

The acting head of the FAA has announced that the US government will not be ground the Boeing 737 Max airliner.
"Thus far, our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order ground the aircraft," Acting FAA administrator Daniel K. Elwell said in a statement on Tuesday.
Safety regulators in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia have all grounded the Boeing jet following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302.

The acting head of the US Federal Aviation Administrator has announced that the agency will not ground the Boeing 737 Max airliner.

"Thus far, our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft," Acting FAA administrator Daniel K. Elwell said in a statement on Tuesday.

However, Elwell added that the FAA will take "immediate and appropriate action" if any issues affecting the continued airworthiness of the 737 Max are identified.

The FAA's decision to keep the 737 Max in operation stands in contrast to the safety regulators in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia that have all grounded the plane.

On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crash shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport. The crashed killed all 157 passengers and crew on board the four-month-old plane.

It's the second nearly brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8 airliner in recent months to be involved in a fatal crash. In October, Lion Air Flight JT610 crashed in the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia, killing all 189 people on board.

Here's Acting FAA administrator Daniel K. Elwell's statement in its entirety:

"The FAA continues to review extensively all available data and aggregate safety performance from operators and pilots of the Boeing 737 MAX. Thus far, our review shows no systemic performance issues and provides no basis to order grounding the aircraft. Nor have other civil aviation authorities provided data to us that would warrant action. In the course of our urgent review of data on the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, if any issues affecting the continued airworthiness of the aircraft are identified, the FAA will take immediate and appropriate action."