Canada and the United States on Wednesday joined some 40 other countries in grounding all Boeing 737 Max 8 passenger jets from their airspace, after the model was involved in a second deadly crash in less than five months.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he made the decision after reviewing satellite-tracking data that indicated 鈥渁 possible, although unproven, similarity鈥� between the Ethiopian Airlines jet that crashed last weekend and the crash of a Lion Air flight in Indonesia last October.

The decision to ground the fleet is expected to cause major travel headaches for passengers, particularly because it comes in the middle of March Break 鈥� one of the busiest travel times of the year for families.

Experts say that travellers should be prepared for delays, especially if they are scheduled to fly on smaller airlines.

Across the country, Canadian passengers reacted with a mixture of frustration and disappointment about the effect the grounding will have on their best-laid travel plans, though some expressed relief about not having to fly on an aircraft that may be dangerous.

Here is a round-up of some of the reaction:

Halifax Stanfield International Airport

The airport says that there are two frequent flights that use the aircraft 鈥� one to London, U.K., that runs four times per week and another to Toronto, which runs five times per week.

鈥淲ell, I had two cruises back-to-back, so I鈥檓 out at least $3,000, plus this鈥ou know, $4,000 or $5,000.鈥� 鈥� passenger Brian Wentzell

鈥淲e want to make sure they鈥檙e on a safe plane. The kids are oblivious, of course. It鈥檚 just the parents that are worried.鈥� 鈥� Kelli, the mother of a high school student travelling with classmates to Europe for March Break

鈥淚t鈥檚 just unfortunate in my travel plan. I didn鈥檛 plan on staying in Halifax. I have nothing to wear. I鈥檝e just got my medicine and that鈥檚 about it.鈥� 鈥� unnamed traveler

鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing you can do about it. I鈥檇 rather they cancel the flight than have an inexperienced pilot run into a problem.鈥� 鈥� unnamed traveller

Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport

鈥淚 came here expecting to get on my flight and then I found out everything was cancelled. (It) kind of sucks because I flew here on a 737 Max 8 yesterday, actually.鈥� 鈥� unnamed traveler

鈥淲e are getting lots of calls that are asking us what kind of equipment am I travelling on. Most of the people that we鈥檝e been handling are those that are travelling in the near future so they haven鈥檛 travelled yet. It鈥檒l be easy to recuperate their money.鈥� 鈥� Tony Fragapane, owner of Westmount Travel

Vancouver International Airport

鈥淚f I鈥檓 relieved, I don鈥檛 know. But I鈥檓 a little ticked off because I have a business appointment this afternoon.鈥� -- traveller Juan Escania

鈥淔rankly, I didn鈥檛 know I was on a 737. I鈥檓 relieved. I鈥檇 rather be safe than take a chance.鈥� Indira Mangal, passenger bound for her niece鈥檚 wedding in Toronto

鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit disturbing, but what can you do? The chances of getting run over walking across the street (are) greater than flying one of them.鈥� 鈥� traveller Gene Hollingshead

鈥淚f they find something and they want to ground an airplane that I鈥檓 going to be on, I鈥檓 OK with that.鈥� 鈥� traveller Scott Lawrence

Toronto Pearson International Airport

鈥淲e wondered when we got on the plane why we鈥檙e flying it, but anyway, good precaution, great safety feature鈥lad that鈥檚 happening until we figure it out.鈥� 鈥� passenger Chris Power, who was on board a 737 Max 8 as Garneau鈥檚 announcement was being made

鈥淚t pushes (my trip) back a day, but hey, I鈥檓 in Toronto. There鈥檚 worse places to be, right?鈥� 鈥� Noel Kingwell, a Tampa Bay-bound passenger

鈥淏etter safe than sorry, eh?鈥� 鈥� passenger Steve Giles

Edmonton International Airport

鈥淚 do think it鈥檚 the right call to ground these planes.鈥� 鈥� Tim, a passenger travelling to Phoenix

鈥淚t鈥檚 a brand new plane and if it鈥檚 for our safety, then I think it鈥檚 a good thing.鈥� 鈥� unnamed traveller

鈥淭he most frustrating thing right now is trying to get information from WestJet and Air Canada on how to proceed. They鈥檙e not flying the Max. That鈥檚 about all we got.鈥� 鈥� Lesley Paull, founder of Paull Travel