International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac speaks during the Global Media Day in Geneva, Switzerland December 5, 2017. REUTERS/Pierre Albouy

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Alexandre de Juniac said on Tuesday the results of an investigation into a deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash were needed before any conclusions were drawn on the incident.

“The most serious and vigorous attitude is to check and verify and establish facts,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Singapore. “On this issue our permanent position is to wait for the results of the investigation to draw any conclusion.”

He said IATA acknowledged the decisions by authorities in China, Indonesia and Singapore to ground Boeing Co 737 MAX jets after the crash.

IATA represents around 260 airlines globally.