India's civil aviation ministry grounds Boeing 737 Max plane India joins several other countries in grounding the Boeing 737-MAX planes

NEW DELHI -- India has joined several other countries in grounding the Boeing 737-MAX planes following a crash in Ethiopia that killed 157 people on board.

India's Civil Aviation Ministry in a tweet on Tuesday says the planes will be grounded until appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations.

India's Jet Airways already announced that it has grounded its five Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft and is in contact with the manufacturer.

The ministry's decision will also apply to another Indian airline, SpiceJet, which also has bought the planes.

On Monday, India's aviation watchdog said it ordered a safety assessment of the aircraft.

It also issued safety instructions calling for the pilot-in-command to have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience and the co-pilot to have 500 hours on Boeing 737 NG type aircraft.