Two-thirds of Boeing MAX grounded globally

The European Union's aviation safety agency EASA suspended all flights in the bloc by Boeing's 737-8 and 737-9 aircraft following Sunday's deadly plane crash in Ethiopia, report agencies.

The Indian government has decided to bar Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from flying in Indian skies and will not take any deliveries of the narrowbody jet until safety concerns are cleared, an official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.

Boeing Co's 737 MAX aircraft would not be allowed to enter or transit Indian airspace after 1030 GMT on Wednesday, the ministry of civil aviation said, following the fatal crash of the plane.

Two-thirds of the 737 MAX aircraft have been grounded globally, and Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told the BBC the world's biggest planemaker should ground all such craft until their safety is established.

Swiss authorities said they had also banned the 737 MAX 8 aircraft, following the EU decision, as did several countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Lebanon's civil aviation authority said on Wednesday it has banned Boeing 737 MAX passenger jets from the country's airspace after a deadly plane crash in Ethiopia at the weekend.

The authority also barred the aircraft from taking off and landing in Lebanon, according to a statement carried by the official National News Agency.