Muscat: Oman Air expansion plans in 2019 has been disrupted following the suspension of its five 737-Max aircrafts, according to the airline’s Chief Executive Officer Abdulaziz Al Raisi.

In an interview with state-run Oman News Agency (ONA), Al Raisi said grounding five of its 737-Max airlines and the “non-delivery” in three more additional jets has derailed its plan. “The company’s expansion plans for the year 2019 have been halted due to the suspension of our five 737-Max aircrats and also the non-delivery of additional three 737-Max jets that was scheduled to enter the service to support the company’s fleets.” 

Oman’s Public Authority for Civil Aviation (PACA) had suspended the 737 Max operations following the fatal crash of Ethiopian Airlines plane that killed 157 people on board. Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated Wednesday that Boeing’s 737 Max planes, which have been grounded around the world since March, could be out of action for even longer than expected.