A total of 157 people, including nine Britons, died when the Ethiopian Airlines jet crashed shortly after take-off on Sunday. It was the second fatal accident involving the 737 Max 8 model in less than five months.
In a statement, CI Travel Group, which runs the Tenerife service, said: ‘Following the tragic events in Ethiopia over the weekend, we are aware that the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft type currently operated by Smartwings for the FlyDirect Tenerife programme has been stopped from operating within UK airspace by the CAA.
‘We are in contact with Smartwings regarding the operation of the programme and they have confirmed that flights from next Monday onwards will be operated as planned, with an alternative aircraft type.
‘The safety and wellbeing of our customers remains our primary concern.’
Less than six months ago, a Boeing 737 Max operated by Lion Air crashed in Indonesia, killing everyone on board.
Investigators said the pilots had appeared to struggle with an automated system designed to keep the plane from stalling, which is a new feature of the jet.
It is not yet clear whether the same system was the cause of Sunday’s crash.
