by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 7:53 PM ET, Tue March 12, 2019
Amid growing concern linked to two deadly 737 MAX 8 crashes in the past six months, at least one U.S. airline is working to address mounting passenger fears.
Southwest Airlines told Travel + Leisure that it is allowing passengers who are booked on a 737 MAX 8 flight to switch planes.
"Southwest is fielding some questions from customers asking if their flight will be operated by the Boeing 737 Max 8. Our Customer Relations Team is responding to these customers individually, emphasizing our friendly, no-change fee policy," the airline told Travel + Leisure.
The European Union has now banned use of 737 MAX 8 Planes, according to a late-breaking report in The New York Times.
In the most sweeping action to date, the EU has prohibited MAX 8 planes from entering the airspace of 28 nations. The United States has not taken any action on the matter.
While pressure is growing within the United States to ground the plane model, the Federal Aviation Administration continues to stand by its position that the plane is safe and there is no basis for ordering its grounding, according to The New York Times.
On Monday, a MAX 8 crashed on a flight from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya, killing all 157 people on board. In October a Lion Air 737 MAX crashed as well.
In the hours immediately following this week's crash, Ethiopian Airlines announced it would ground its 737 Max 8 planes.
China came next, announcing it too would ground them. Singapore has also barred all 737 Max service, along with Australia, the United Kingdom and more.
The New York Times reported that President Trump had a telephone conversation with Boeing's chief executive, who made the case that the 737 Max 8 should not be grounded in the United States, according to two people briefed on the conversation.
According to Reuters.com, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein is among those who has called on the FAA Monday to ground Boeing's 737 MAX 8 fleet after the two crashes.
"Until the cause of the crash is known and it's clear that similar risks aren't present in the domestic fleet, I believe all Boeing 737 Max 8 series aircraft operating in the United States should be temporarily grounded," Feinstein said.
"Continuing to fly an airplane that has been involved in two fatal crashes within just six months presents an unnecessary, potentially life-threatening risk to the traveling public," Feinstein continued.
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