US grounds all Boeing 737 Max jets following emergency order

The US order to ground the Boeing aircrafts, follows a number of countries, including India, China, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and European countries, among others.

US President Donald Trump issued an emergency order to ground all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, on Wednesday/ Image: AFP

New Delhi: Amid intense international and political pressure, US President Donald Trump announced a plan to ground all Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, in an emergency order issued on Wednesday. The move comes after the second deadly crash of the plane in less than five months in Ethiopia. "We're going to be issuing an emergency order of prohibition regarding all flights of the 737 MAX 8 and 737 MAX 9," Trump told reporters at the White House. "All those planes are grounded immediately," Trump said. He expressed hope that Boeing will get to the bottom of the problem with the planes, but until then the jets will remain grounded. The US order to ground the Boeing aircrafts, follows a number of countries, including India, China, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and European countries among others.   US is one of the major last countries to have taken a decision to ground Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 aircraft. These planes would be grounded till further orders, he said. Several other countries, including India, China and all of Europe, have ordered the jets off air after the crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 in Ethiopia on Sunday. The aircraft crashed minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 people on board. Four Indians were among those killed. It was the second involving the jet, after a 787 Max operated by Lion Air, an Indonesian carrier, crashed into the Java Sea in October similarly and 189 people died. President, CEO, and chairman of Boeing, Dennis Muilenburg said: “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.” Boeing is supporting the step to ground the jets as a precautionary measure. The FAA has ordered the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 Max operated by US airlines or in US territory. The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed on Wednesday. This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA, led to this decision, it said.