CAIRO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has banned the passage, takeoff and landing of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, the civil aviation ministry announced Wednesday.

"The decision was a precautionary safety measure," a ministry statement said.

The Egyptian move came after the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane on Sunday, which killed all 157 aboard.

"No Egyptian airlines, including national carrier EgyptAir, have Boeing 737 MAX jets in their fleets, and don't have any deals to buy any Boeing 737 Max in the future," the statement noted.

It is the second crash of a Boeing 737 plane in five months, as an Indonesian Lion Air jet of the same type plunged into the ocean last October, killing 198 on board.

Vietnam, New Zealand, Britain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman and the European Union have joined the ranks in banning 737 Max models.