'Our anxiety level was high': Flyers glad Max 8 jets are grounded
With public anxiety at a high over the mysterious crashes of two Boeing 737 Max 8 jets and pressure mounting from lawmakers, the government took the decision out of the hands of travelers Wednesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all flights involving 737 Max 8 and Max 9 airplanes on the heels of similar actions by Canada, the United Kingdom, China and other countries. President Donald Trump announced the order.
The similarities between the crash of a Boeing Max 8 in Ethiopia on Sunday and the fatal drop of a Max 8 into the Java Sea on Oct. 29 alarmed Arlington Heights resident Jamie Bartosch, who was supposed to fly on one of the planes this week.
After devouring multiple news reports, "I didn't know who to believe if the plane was safe or not safe," Bartosch said.
Southwest is the biggest user of Max 8s in the region, but Chicago Department of Aviation data showed minimal cancellations Wednesday at Midway International Airport.
China and Indonesia grounded 737 Max 8s Monday as Chicago-based Boeing's stock plunged, but the FAA on Monday declined to act. "This investigation has just begun, and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions," officials said then.
On Wednesday, the FAA said a safety emergency existed because "new information from the wreckage concerning the aircraft's configuration just after takeoff" with "newly refined" tracking data of the flight path indicated similarities that warranted more investigation into a shared cause.
Out of a fleet of 750 Boeing 737s, Southwest Airlines operates 34 Max 8 planes from airports including Midway. "Any customer booked on a canceled Max 8 flight can rebook on alternate flights without any additional fees or fare differences within 14 days of their original date of travel between the original city pairs," the airline said.
Due to high call volumes, Southwest advised travelers to make changes online as of Wednesday evening.
American Airlines owns 24 of the Max 8 models but does not use the planes at O'Hare. American operates 85 flights per day on the Max 8, out of a total of 6,700.
The airline said customers could work with agents to rebook or go online or use the mobile app. Refunds are available through the website.
United Airlines owns 14 of the 737 Max 9 jets, none of which operate out of O'Hare.
The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are assisting Ethiopian authorities with the crash probe.
Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 crashed six minutes after takeoff Sunday; 157 aboard died. In October, Lion Air Flight JT 610 left Jakarta, Indonesia, and crashed within 13 minutes, killing 189 people.
Bartosch, who is taking a vacation to Africa with family members, was scheduled to fly from O'Hare to Istanbul, Turkey, then switch to a Max 8 and continue to Nairobi. Turkish Airlines grounded its Max 8 flights Tuesday, and Bartosch was able to rebook.
"We were so relieved we didn't have to take that plane. Our anxiety level was high, and we didn't have any options; we couldn't cancel our tickets," Bartosch said.
The fatal Ethiopian Air flight also was headed to Nairobi.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Hoffman Estates, a former Army pilot, said she was "alarmed" by the occurrences and promised "to hold a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee to help ensure this does not happen again" once the investigation is complete.
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield also agreed with the FAA decision.
"Until we can thoroughly examine the black box from the Ethiopian airplane, I support the FAA's grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft," he said.
Eight Americans died in the Ethiopian Air crash, including Army Capt. Antoine Lewis of South suburban Matteson.
"No doubt, everyone at Boeing feels enormous pressure to explain what happened," DePaul University Professor and aviation expert Joseph Schwieterman said.