China Eastern claims compensation for Boeing 737 MAX grounding

China Eastern Airlines announced on Tuesday that it had lodged a claim for compensation against Boeing over the grounding of the aviation giant's 737 MAX jets.

A plane of China Eastern Airlines arrives at the Changzhou Benniu Airport in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province, April 14, 2018. [File photo: IC]

China's aviation regulator took the global lead in grounding the jets after the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 that killed all 157 people on board. Airlines in China operate more than 95 of the 737 MAX, making the country home to one of the world's largest fleets of the jet.

According to a China Eastern Airlines employee, the grounding has had minimal impact on the company so far as it came after the Spring Festival travel rush.

The China Eastern Airlines logo. [File photo: IC]

China Eastern is planning to introduce 60 new planes into its fleet this year, including 11 of the 737 MAX aircraft. The carrier is yet to decide whether it will cancel its order, but has lodged a claim for compensation with Boeing. The decision to proceed with the compensation claim will hinge on whether a design problem is found to be responsible for the problems with the aircraft.

The final report into the Ethiopian Airlines crash has not been released.

China's Civil Aviation Administration announced on Thursday that it had accepted an invitation to join the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's panel reviewing the automated flight control systems for the Boeing 737 MAX.