A type of Boeing jumbo jet has been banned from Britain’s skies in the wake of the Ethiopian Airlines disaster, as flights were ordered to turn back in mid-air.

In a rare step, the UK Civil Aviation Authority announced yesterday that any Boeing 737 Max planes would be forbidden from entering the country’s airspace until further notice.

Concerns have been raised about the jet’s design after one crashed six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa airport on Sunday morning, killing all 157 people on board. It was the second fatal accident involving the aircraft in five months.

Last night it was revealed that the pilots reported “flight control problems” in the moments before the disaster.

A wave of other countries including France, Germany, China and Australia also announced yesterday that planes would be grounded until the cause of the crash was discovered.

When the CAA announced the ban at around 2pm, at least two Boeing MAX jets bound for Britain were already in the air, travelling from Istanbul to Birmingham and Gatwick.