Norwegian airline grounds all 18 Boeing 737 Max aircraft

Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA cancelled flights of all of its 18 Boeing 737 Max aircraft after the recommendation of European aviation authorities, online newspaper E24 reported Tuesday.

The aircraft mainly operate in Europe, but have also some routes from Europe to the United States.

"We are now doing our utmost to safeguard customers who are affected and are working on reallocating the aircraft fleet, merging flights and booking passengers for other flights to limit the consequences for the passengers," the company said in a statement.

"When the aviation authorities advise on this, we will naturally follow their recommendation," said Thomas Hesthammer, acting operations director and flight manager.

The move came after an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft crashed on Sunday minutes after take-off, killing all 157 people on board and becoming the second air crash involving the Boeing 737 MAX 8 in less than five months.