On Sunday, March 10, a Boeing 737 Max 8 plane operated by Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Nairobi crashed minutes after takeoff and killed all 157 people onboard. It was the second crash in just five months involving the plane model that was once heralded as a revolution in aviation.
The plane was wildly popular among airlines when it first rolled off the production line largely thanks to its fuel economy and futuristic touches.
However, in the hours after the Ethiopian crash, airlines began renouncing the plane, starting with Ethiopian Airlines, which quickly grounded its other 737 Max 8 planes. The entire nation of China followed, and soon, like a domino effect around the globe airline after airline, and nation after nation grounded the 737 Max 8 plane. Finally, days later, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would do the same.
With nearly 400 737 Max 8 planes sitting idly around the globe it can be tempting to speculate that an airline crisis is near. But, there are a few things travelers should know about the Boeing 737 Max 8 grounding before jumping to fear first.
Here’s what you need to know.
This will continue to get updated as more information comes out about the Boeing 737 Max 8 groundings.
