President Donald Trump says his administration is grounding Boeing Max 8 planes after learning new information about he crash of an Ethiopian Air Boeing 737 aircraft.
Trump said Wednesday airlines and pilots had been notified that planes currently in the air would be ordered to land, CNN reported.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing,” Trump said from the White House after more than 50 other nations had already made the decision to ground the jets.
“Boeing is an incredible company,” he said. “They are working very hard right now.”
The global grounding of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 airliner drew new attention to the close ties between the manufacturer and the Trump administration, according to CNN.
“Trump has touted Boeing sales across the globe — including two weeks ago in Vietnam — and has cultivated close relationships with the company’s executives,” the news site noted. “His acting defense secretary served atop the company for more than three decades, including as the newly scrutinized planes were being developed. The company has spent millions over the past years lobbying decision-makers in Washington.”
Trump’s reversal comes just a day after he reportedly spoke on the phone with Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg, who assured him the 737 Max 8 was safe, despite two recent crashes. Hours later, the Federal Aviation Administration said it remained confident in the planes, even as governments across Europe and Asia grounded them.
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