The aircraft involved in a deadly crash after reporting technical issues in Indonesia Monday — the Boeing 737 MAX 8 — is the latest version of one of the company’s biggest and most popular jets.
And it’s one that Canadian airlines WestJet, Air Canada and Sunwing all use.
In a statement to Global News, WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart confirmed that the airline has nine Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes in its fleet.
READ MORE: Indonesia plane crash: Rescuers uncover bodies, say 189 people on board likely didn’t survive
Air Canada also confirmed to Global News that it uses 18 of the jets.
Sunwing Airlines also added four of the aircraft to its fleet earlier this year, according to its website. Sunwing did not respond to Global News questions regarding additional inspection or maintenance of the jets by the time of publication.
WATCH: Divers search for main wreckage of crashed Lion Air plane
![Click to play video: 'Divers search for main wreckage of crashed Lion Air plane'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/677/431/indonn_848x480_1355775555663.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
Both Air Canada and WestJet airlines said they are closely monitoring the investigation into Monday’s Lion Air crash, which left 189 dead.
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WestJet said it currently has no plans to carry out its own evaluation of the aircraft.
READ MORE: Pilot asked to return Indonesian plane to base before it plunged into sea with 189 people on board
“There is no information available as to cause of the incident in Indonesia, and no indication from the manufacturer or regulator that any action is required or warranted,” Stewart said.
“These aircraft of WestJet’s are brand new and we have no plans at this time for any action.”
In a similar statement, Air Canada said it has not “received any directives from the manufacturers at this time.”
Porter Airlines does not have any Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in its fleet, a spokesperson said.
Details on the crash
Lion Air’s plane was almost brand new. It was flown for the first time on Aug. 15.While no direct cause has been determined for the crash, the airline said the plane had been certified as airworthy before Monday’s flight by an engineer who is a specialist in Boeing models.But the Boeing 737 MAX 8 literally fell out of the sky and into the sea just after takeoff from Jakarta’s airport.Data from FlightRadar24 shows the first sign of something amiss was around two minutes into the flight when the plane had reached 610 metres.READ MORE: Lion Air flight with 189 on board crashes in Indonesian seaThe plane dropped more than 152 metres, veered to the left and then started climbing again to 1,524 metres. It gained speed in the final moments before data was lost when it was at an altitude of 1,113 metres.Yusuf Latief, a spokesman for Indonesia’s national search and rescue agency, said there were likely no survivors.How popular is the Boeing 737 MAX 8?
The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is the most recent model of Boeing’s famous 737, the U.S. company’s best-selling plane, and is a popular choice among budget airlines around the world.Several international airlines have MAX 8s in their fleet, including American, Southwest, Jet Airways, AeroMexico, LOT Polish Airlines and FlyDubai.WATCH: Divers retrieve remains, personal belongings of doomed Lion Air plane’s passengers![Click to play video: 'Divers retrieve remains, personal belongings of doomed Lion Air plane’s passengers'](https://i1.wp.com/media.globalnews.ca/videostatic/864/443/divers.jpg?w=1040&quality=70&strip=all)
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