China's aviation regulator ordered local airlines to halt Boeing 737 Max 8 flights after a deadly Ethiopian Airlines crash using the same model.

Airlines must suspend commercial operations of all Boeing 737 Max 8 planes before 18:00 local time (10:00 GMT).

The Ethiopian Airlines flight crashed minutes after takeoff on Sunday, killing all 157 people on board.

It was the second crash involving a 737 Max 8 in the past five months.

While experts warn it is too early to say what caused the Ethiopian Airlines disaster, it comes after the same model crashed in a flight operated by Lion Air in October.

The plane lost altitude soon after takeoff, killing 189 people on board.

"Given that two accidents both involved newly delivered Boeing 737 Max 8 planes and happened during take-off phase, they have some degree of similarity," the Civil Aviation Administration of China said in a statement.

In addition to the suspension in China, other airlines have halted 787 Max 8 operations.

On Monday, Ethiopian Airlines said it had grounded its fleet of the jets until further notice as an safety precaution.