ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT
By Michael Hernandez
WASHINGTON (AA) - President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is issuing an emergency order that will ground the Boeing 737 Max fleet in the U.S. after the plane model was involved in two devastating crashes.
Trump made the announcement after dozens of nations ordered their 737 Max fleets grounded while an investigation into the latest crash continues.
The order will be in place "until further notice," according to the president.
"The safety of the American people, of all people, is our paramount concern," Trump said.
Trump's order will apply to both the 737 Max 8 and 9 variants.
Any planes currently in the air will fly to their destination and be grounded immediately, Trump said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to release additional information on the flight suspension later Wednesday.
Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed Sunday outside of Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, killing all 157 people on board.
The plane model was also involved in an October crash outside of Jakarta, Indonesia. All 189 people on board Lion Air flight JT610 were killed.
Both crashes took place shortly after takeoff.