The U.S. became the latest country Wednesday to ground all of Boeing's 737 Max 8 passenger jets amid safety concerns.
Here are five things to know about the Boeing 737 Max 8:
1.) One of Boeing's newest offerings
The first Boeing 737 Max 8 was delivered in 2017, according to FlightGlobal.
It was intended to replace older versions of the Boeing 737, one of the most popular commercial airliners in the world.
2.) 2 deadly crashes in 5 months
Two of the relatively new jets have crashed, both with deadly results.
The first was Lion Air Flight 610, which went down Oct. 29 off the coast of Indonesia, killing all 189 people who were on board, the Washington Post reported.
Then, on Sunday, 157 people perished when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed in Ethiopia moments after takeoff.
3.) Multiple countries ground 737 Max 8
Almost immediately after the second crash, nations began grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8.
Some also restricted the plane from flying over their airspace, CNN said.
The U.S. followed suit Wednesday, the same day Canadian officials made a similar decision.
4.) 2 U.S. carriers operate the 737 Max 8
Southwest Airlines and American Airlines both operate the Boeing 737 Max 8.
Both had continued to fly the jets, insisting they were safe, up until President Donald Trump's announcement.
USA Today reports that Southwest has 34 of the aircraft in its fleet, while American has 24.
President Trump's ban also includes the Boeing 737 Max 9. United Airlines owns 14 of that particular model.
5.) Pilots raise concerns
The Dallas Morning News, in a story posted Tuesday, cited a number of reports from pilots who claimed they had safety concerns about the Boeing 737 Max 8.
Some mentioned issues with safety mechanisms, while others said airlines and Boeing had not adequately trained pilots to operate the new jets.
