BEIJING — Boeing is facing compensation claims from the three biggest airlines in China, which have grounded dozens of 737 Max jetliners since the deadly crash of an Ethiopian Airlines flight in March.

The airlines, Air China, China Eastern and China Southern, which are all state controlled, said on Wednesday that they had asked for payouts, confirming reports in state-run news media. Xiamen Airlines, a smaller carrier, also said it would seek compensation.

The four airlines accounted for about half of China’s fleet of nearly 100 737 Max 8 jetliners in service when Chinese regulators grounded the plane less than a day after the March crash. The move was quickly followed by regulators around the world, underscoring China’s growing influence in aviation safety.

At a daily news briefing on Tuesday, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, did not comment directly on the compensation claims but said it was “beyond reproach” that airlines would work to “protect their legitimate rights and interests in accordance with the law.”