Warren Calls on U.S. to Ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 Planes Following Crash

Wednesday, March 13, 2019

GoLocalWorcester News Team

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren is calling for the United States to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes.

This comes two days after an Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday that killed 157 people.

"The United Kingdom, China, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others have already grounded the 737 MAX. The FAA should follow their lead, reverse their decision, and immediately ground this plane in the United States until its safety can be assured," said Warren in a statement.

The victims of the crash included citizens of 35 countries, 32 Kenyans, 18 Canadians, nine Ethiopians and eight from China, Italy and the United States.

The United Nations announced that 19 of its staff members were victims.

The plane used for the flight was a 737 MAX 8 jet. The jet is one of Boeing’s top-selling airplanes.

Planes Grounded Around World

The Civil Aviation Administration of China ordered that all domestic Boeing 737 Max 8 jets be grounded on Monday.

According to CNN, China has 97 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets, one of the world’s largest fleets.

Ethiopian Airlines and Cayman Airways both announced that they have grounded the planes.

Indonesia also grounded the planes.

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are approximately 350 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircrafts in operation worldwide, being flown by 54 operators.

Read Warren's Full Statement Below

"Dozens of Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes fly daily in the United States. The United Kingdom, China, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and others have already grounded the 737 MAX. The FAA should follow their lead, reverse their decision, and immediately ground this plane in the United States until its safety can be assured.

The world has now witnessed the second tragic crash of one of these planes in less than six months. While we do not know the causes of these crashes, serious questions have been raised about whether these planes were pressed into service without additional pilot training in order to save money. The FAA itself has indicated that software updates are likely coming. Any necessary changes must be made before, not after, more flights occur and more lives are potentially endangered.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 is a major driver of Boeing profits. In the coming weeks and months, Congress should hold hearings on whether an Administration that famously refused to stand up to Saudi Arabia to protect Boeing arms sales has once again put lives at risk for the same reason. But that is a question to be answered another day. Today, immediately, the FAA needs to get these planes out of the sky."