Southwest Airlines responds to FAA order on Boeing aircraft

DALLAS (FOX 26) -- President Donald Trump issued an emergency order on Wednesday that grounded all Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 aircraft in the wake of an Ethiopian Airlines plane crash that killed 157 people.

Many other nations had already barred the Boeing 737 Max 8 from its airspace, but until now, the Federal Aviation Administration had been saying that it didn't have any data to show the jets are unsafe.

President Trump says the safety of the American people is of "paramount concern."

Following the Federal Aviation Administration emergency order by U.S. operators, Southwest Airlines released the following statement on Wednesday:

"During our 48-year history, Southwest has continuously demonstrated our commitment to safety," said Southwest chairman and chief executive officer Gary Kelly. "We sincerely appreciate the trust our Customers and Employees place in our airline every day, and the Southwest Team is working diligently to minimize disruptions to our Customers' travel plans."

FOX 26 News reported on this story from Houston and The Associated Press contributed to this report.