S American nations reportedly assessing closing airspace to Boeing 737 MAX jets

Argentina and other South American nations are evaluating closing their airspace to Boeing 737 MAX airplanes following two fatal crashes in five months involving that type of plane, Argentina's state-run news agency Telam reported on Tuesday.

The announcement from Argentina aviation officials follows a wave of suspensions by the European Union, China and India, piling pressure on the United States to follow suit. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Tuesday it would not ground Boeing Co 737 MAX planes. "It is something that we are talking about as a possibility, but it is not imminent," Tomas Insausti, head of Argentina´s Civil Aviation Authority, told Telam. "It's being discussed among regional aviation authorities and it will be something we decide upon as a group, not individually."

Insausti did not identify which South American countries were involved in the talks, according to the Telam report. Boeing, the world's biggest planemaker, which has seen billions of dollars wiped off its market value since the crash, said it understood the countries' actions but retained "full confidence" in the 737 MAX and had safety as its priority.

(With inputs from agencies.)