LAX impacts following grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8, 9 planes
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - The FAA discovered similarities between the recent Ethiopian Airlines crash and October 2018's Lion Air crash in Indonesia leading to a grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 planes.
Airport officials at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) said there were seven scheduled flights on Wednesday involving the 737 Max aircraft. Many passengers expressed relief that the planes were being taken out of service.
President Trump issued an emergency order grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 and 9 planes until further notice.
At LAX, a Houston couple's was delayed right around the time of the announcement but it was unclear why.
"I'm not a huge fan of flying so I'm kind of scared," said passenger Jennyfer Murray. "I just feel like we are going to be here all day, which kind of sucks."
"I would rather be safe than sorry. There are a lot of people on this plane, so don't want to risk it," said passenger Kyle Ranostaj.
According to the FAA, there are 74 Max jets registered in the U.S. -- Southwest Airlines has 34, American Airlines has 24 and United Airlines flies 14 Max 9 models.
On Wednesday, all three airlines issued statements saying they were complying with the FAA order and assuring passengers that safety is their top priority. Boeing also issued a statement saying in part:
"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"
Officials at LAX said all passengers have been accommodated and there were no significant impacts from the 737 Max groundings.