79°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy

Trump orders immediate grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8, 9 jets

Updated March 13, 2019 - 12:59 pm

WASHINGTON — The U.S. is issuing an emergency order Wednesday grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft “effective immediately,” in the wake of the crash of an Ethiopian Airliner that killed 157 people, President Donald Trump said.

Many nations had already barred the Boeing 737 Max 8 from its airspace, but until Trump’s announcement, the Federal Aviation Administration had said that it didn’t have any data to show the jets are unsafe. Trump cited “new information” that had come to light in the ongoing investigation into incident. He did not elaborate.

“All of those planes are grounded, effective immediately,” Trump said during a scheduled briefing on border security.

Trump said any airplane currently in the air will go to its destination and then be grounded. He added all airlines and affected pilots had been notified.

Trump said the safety of the American people is of “paramount concern,” and added that the FAA would soon put out a statement on the action.

Trump said the decision to ground the aircraft “didn’t have to be made, but we thought it was the right decision.”

The president insisted the announcement was coordinated with aviation officials in Canada, U.S. carriers and aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Boeing is an incredible company,” Trump said. “They are working very, very hard right now and hopefully they’ll quickly come up with an answer.”

In a statement, Boeing said it “continues to have full confidence in the safety of the 737 MAX.” The company added that it had decided “out of an abundance of caution and in order to reassure the flying public of the aircraft’s safety — to recommend to the FAA the temporary suspension of operations of the entire global fleet of 371 737 MAX aircraft.”

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said the company was “supporting this proactive step out of an abundance of caution.”

Associated Press writers Deb Riechmann and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

MOST READ
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Vance hails progress on Gaza peace accord despite violence

The vice president traveled to the region about a week after President Donald Trump unveiled a U.S.-led agreement to end the two-year war between Israel and Hamas.

Amazon cloud outage takes down online services around the world

A problem with Amazon’s cloud computing service disrupted internet use around the world Monday, taking down a broad range of online services, including social media, gaming, food delivery, streaming and financial platforms.

Renewed fighting tests Gaza ceasefire

Gaza’s fragile ceasefire faced its first major test Sunday as Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers.

Thieves steal crown jewels in 4 minutes from Louvre Museum

The heist about 30 minutes after opening, was among the highest-profile museum thefts in living memory and comes as staff complained that crowding and thin staffing are straining security.

US Embassy issues warning to Americans in Trinidad and Tobago

The U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago cautioned Americans on Saturday to stay away from American government facilities as tensions grow between the United States and Venezuela

MORE STORIES