WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump says the U.S. is issuing an emergency order grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft in the wake of a crash of an Ethiopian Airliner that killed 157 people.
Many nations in the world had already barred the Boeing 737 Max 8 from its airspace, but until now, the Federal Aviation Administration had been saying that it didn't have any data to show the jets are unsafe.
Trump said Wednesday that the FAA would be making the announcement soon to ground the planes.
He says any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and then be grounded.
Trump says pilots and airlines have been notified.
He says the safety of the American people is of "paramount concern."
Boeing supports temporarily grounding 737 Max planes
Boeing has responded with a news release backing the temporary prohibtion of its 737 Max planes, but maintains its confidence in the safety of the aircraft.
“On behalf of the entire Boeing team, we extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have lost their lives in these two tragic accidents,” said Dennis Muilenburg, president, CEO, Chairman of The Boeing Company.
“We are supporting this proactive step out of an abundance of caution. Safety is a core value at Boeing for as long as we have been building airplanes; and it always will be. There is no greater priority for our company and our industry. We are doing everything we can to understand the cause of the accidents in partnership with the investigators, deploy safety enhancements and help ensure this does not happen again.”
Canada orders 737 Max aircrafts out of airspace
Transport Minister Marc Garneau grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 airplanes in Canada over safety concerns arising from the crash of the Ethiopian Airlines flight that killed all on board, including 18 Canadians.
In a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday morning, delayed twice by what Garneau said was incoming new information, the minister called the decision to ground the plane a precautionary move that was made after a review of all the available evidence.
The "safety notice" means none of the aircraft can fly into, out of, or over Canada, he said: "I will not hesitate to take swift action should we discover any additional safety issues."
While aviation experts warn against drawing conclusions until more information emerges from the crash investigation, numerous jurisdictions -- including China, Germany, the United Kingdom and the European Union -- have grounded the Max 8 or banned it from their airspace.
Garneau said evidence about multiple Boeing 737 Max 8 flights suggests a worrying correlation between the Ethiopian Airlines crash and another off Indonesia in October.
— with files from The Canadian Press
