The FAA is ordering the temporary grounding of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
The decision applies to aircraft operated by U.S. airlines or in U.S. territory. The move comes after U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and others called on federal regulators to temporarily ground 737 Max aircraft.
“The agency made this decision as a result of the data gathering process and new evidence collected at the site and analyzed today,” the FAA said in a statement. “This evidence, together with newly refined satellite data available to FAA this morning, led to this decision.”
The agency added: “The grounding will remain in effect pending further investigation, including examination of information from the aircraft’s flight data recorders and cockpit voice recorders.”
An FAA team is in Ethiopia assisting the NTSB as parties to the investigation.
“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,” Dennis Muilenburg, president, CEO and chairman of The Boeing Co., said in a statement.
“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.”
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines fly the aircraft.
