Romney, Blumenthal call for Boeing 737 Max 8 to be grounded

Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) called for the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft to be grounded following two fatal crashes involving the plane.

“Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the @FAANews should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of recent crashes and ensure the plane’s airworthiness,” Romney tweeted Tuesday. 

Out of an abundance of caution for the flying public, the @FAANews should ground the 737 MAX 8 until we investigate the causes of recent crashes and ensure the plane’s airworthiness.

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 12, 2019

“The FAA & the airline industry must act quickly & decisively to protect American travelers, pilots, & flight attendants,” Blumenthal wrote Monday night. “All Boeing 737 Max 8s should be grounded until American travels can be assured that these planes are safe.” 

The FAA & the airline industry must act quickly & decisively to protect American travelers, pilots, & flight attendants. All Boeing 737 Max 8s should be grounded until American travels can be assured that these planes are safe. https://t.co/6yRQFasFHR

— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) March 12, 2019

A Boeing 737 Max 8 crashed shortly after taking off in Ethiopia Sunday, killing all 157 people on board.

{mosads}It was the second deadly crash involving the model in under a year, after an October crash in Indonesia left 189 dead.

Several countries, including the United Kingdom, China, Indonesia and Australia, have grounded the Boeing 737 Max 8 in the wake of Sunday’s crash.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Monday that the planes are safe to fly but that it is investigating the crashes.

“Today, the FAA will issue a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) for Boeing 737 MAX operators,” the FAA said in a statement.