Boeing 737: Singapore bars entry and exit of 737 Max planes

Singapore's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAS) has temporarily suspended all versions of the Boeing 737 Max from flying into and out of the country.

The decision comes after an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed on Sunday. All 157 people on board died.

It was the second fatal accident involving that model in less than five months.

Changi airport, in Singapore, is the sixth busiest globally, but it is unclear if flights will be cancelled.

Several airlines and regulators around the world have already grounded the Max 8 model following the crash.

Singapore is believed to be the first country to ban all variants of the Max family of aircraft. The suspension goes into effect from 14:00 local time (06:00 GMT).

SilkAir, which operates six Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, will be affected, as will China Southern Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Shandong Airlines and Thai Lion Air, CAAS said.

The aviation authority said it was working with Singapore's Changi Airport Group and the airlines to minimise the impact on passengers.

In the US, the country's Federal Aviation Administration told airlines on Monday it believes Boeing's 737 Max 8 model to be airworthy, despite the two fatal crashes.