A Montreal-bound Air Canada Boeing 737 Max ferry flight diverted in Arizona earlier this week due to an engine issue, the airline said Friday. Pilots on Air Canada Flight 2358 received an engine alert shortly after takeoff from Marana, Arizona on Tuesday, the airline said. The carrier had been storing 737 Max jets there after the planes were grounded worldwide in March 2019 after two deadly crashes. “As part of normal operating procedures in such situations, decided to shut down one engine” and diverted to Tucson, Air Canada said. The flight was carrying three crew members and no passengers. The plane remains in Tucson. Boeing declined to comment and referred questions to the airline. Belgian aviation site Aviation24.be said the plane had a “hydraulic low pressure indication.” <br/>
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China is preparing to supply its coronavirus vaccines to African countries with Addis Ababa expected to be the logistical hub with Egypt and Morocco as manufacturing centres.<br/>Beijing is building a logistical network, which includes a cold-chain air bridge from Shenzhen to Ethiopia. Early this month, Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao Global said it had established the country’s first cross-border cold-chain route with Ethiopian Airlines, ready for the shipment of Covid-19 vaccines and other drugs.<br/>The facility features an ultra-low temperature that would enable the transport of coronavirus vaccines to Africa. The cargo would be sent from Shenzhen to Africa weekly and then shipped to other countries via Addis Ababa. Ethiopian Airlines was key early in the pandemic for transporting coronavirus testing kits and medical supplies donated by the Chinese government and other donors such as Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Stephen Chan, a professor of politics and international relations at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, said: “Addis Ababa is a good hub since its air transport links are excellent and the Ethiopians have established a more equal negotiating relationship with China than most – so Ethiopia is trusted as a middle man”. <br/>