Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes fly out of Cairns three times a week

THE same model of plane that crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people, flies in and out of Cairns daily. But there are no plans to stop operating the flights in the Far North.

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THE same model of plane that crashed in Indonesia, killing 189 people on board, flies in and out of Cairns daily.

But there are no plans to stop operating the flights in the Far North.

SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, flies out of Cairns International Airport at least three times a week to Singapore and uses the same Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft as Lion Air.

Boeing has issued a warning to pilots that incorrect readings from a flight-monitoring system on the 737 MAX 8 models can “cause the planes to abruptly dive”.

SilkAir's Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, pictured at Darwin Airport.

An investigation into the Indonesian crash has also revealed that a faulty angle of an attack sensor may have caused the fatal crash.

But despite concerns about the plane model, a SilkAir spokesman said the company would continue to fly 737 MAX 8s in and out of Cairns.

“SilkAir has five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet and has been operating the aircraft to Cairns since January 2018,” he said.

“SilkAir is in full compliance with the Flight Crew Operations Manual Bulletin issued by Boeing.”

The Boeing 737 Max 8 has promised enhanced comfort for passengers, including new improved seating in Economy Class. PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN

About 40,000 people currently fly on SilkAir flights every year in Cairns. Each flight can fit almost 200 passengers on board.

Virgin Australia has 30 new 737 MAX 8s on order, and told News Corp it was not planning on cancelling the order.

Originally published as Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes fly out of Cairns three times a week