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In the wake of the recent Boeing 737 Max fiasco (a week-long grounding following the explosive decompression of Alaska Airlines in January), many passengers are reversing their old belief that “If it’s not a Boeing, it’s not going to happen.” .
Duc Vu, 41, was already wary of flying the 737 Max 8 after a second crash in 2019, but the latest incident has confirmed his feelings about the aircraft family. Ta.
Boeing has pledged to be transparent and strengthen safety. “But to me, it’s too little, too late,” a Philadelphia management consultant told USA TODAY.
Vu tries to avoid the 737 Max line when he flies, and even changed his primary airline from Southwest Airlines to American Airlines. That’s because there are more of the former’s aircraft (although neither was on the Max 9 plane involved in the January incident). “Given everything that happened on the Alaska flight, I felt very justified in my decision,” he said.
Mr. Vu is far from alone. Social media is full of posts from travelers who want to avoid Boeing 737 Max jets on future trips.
Travel booking company Kayak has added a filter to its flight search page that allows passengers to exclude itineraries on certain types of aircraft.
But for most travelers, deciphering the type of plane operating their flight can be difficult. Because ultimately airlines, not passengers, are Boeing’s customers. Once travelers decide to fly somewhere, they may not have much say in what type of plane they take.
But most experts suggest there’s no need to worry. Many have noted that the overall safety of the U.S. airline industry is excellent, and the airlines that operate the Max have continued to do so, even as regulators have increased oversight of the company’s production lines. He insists he will continue to use Boeing.
Is the 737 Max safe?
The Boeing 737 Max’s shadowy reputation is no coincidence. Shortly after the aircraft entered service, two major crashes occurred, killing 346 people. The line of planes was grounded for nearly two years as Boeing and regulators addressed software issues that ultimately contributed to both disasters.
Once the plane was back in the air, there were no major safety concerns until January 5, when a door plug covering an unused emergency exit came loose during an Alaska Airlines flight. No one was injured and the plane returned safely to Portland, Oregon, but the incident prompted regulators to once again ground some Boeing 737 Max jets. This time it was only the Max 9 model with the same door plug. A total of 171 aircraft until the cause of the problem is determined.
The grounding lasted about three weeks, and many of the affected Max planes have already returned to service after undergoing the necessary inspections.
The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report Tuesday suggesting that four bolts that hold the door plug in place on the Alaska Airlines plane were missing at the time of the incident in January. The department said the investigation is ongoing.
But even after the 2019 grounding, which resulted from a more catastrophic problem, passengers continued to fly Max aircraft after they returned to service.
“There is absolutely no evidence that people have been deterred from flying,” Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst and managing director of Aerodynamic Advisory, previously told USA TODAY. “At the end of the day, airlines stand by their beliefs.”
Although the National Transportation Safety Board has not yet issued a final report on the Alaska Airlines accident, lifting the grounding means the regulator believes the door plug was the main cause of the problem and that necessary inspections will correct the situation going forward. It suggests that you are satisfied with enough. Max 9 problem.
Casey McCreary, a Portland-based body piercer, said the incident left him concerned about whether the Boeing plane was safe. But she said these concerns should not determine whether or not to fly or which airline to choose.
“It feels unrealistic to avoid them, but it also helps a little that there are so many planes that don’t have these problems,” she said.
Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the main operators of the Max 9 in the U.S., said inspections found similar manufacturing defects in other planes affected by the grounding, which led to federal filings. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau announced that it is stepping up oversight of Boeing’s production process. About the incident.
However, regulators maintain in public statements that the Max 9 remains extremely safe.
“Our findings from the inspection of these aircraft indicate that Boeing’s quality system problems are unacceptable and require further scrutiny,” FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said at a Congressional hearing Tuesday. “We showed that,” he said. “We will track data and take appropriate and necessary actions. The safety of the flying public will continue to factor into our decision-making.”
Has Boeing damaged its reputation with customers?
While airlines are certainly unhappy with Boeing’s manufacturing problems, they seem satisfied that the planes they are ordering are safe.
“They’re in a tough spot right now, but Boeing is committed to changing and fixing this situation from top to bottom,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said during an earnings call in January. I believe he is doing his best.” “There’s no bigger supporter outside of Boeing that wants Boeing to succeed than me, and I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
Cruising altitude:I’ve been covering Boeing’s 737 MAX for years. I will briefly summarize the problem here.
Alaska Airlines, which operates a fleet of Boeing-only mainline aircraft, similarly took a bullish stance on the company at its January earnings conference.
“While we remain committed to our relationship with Boeing as a long-standing and valued partner, we also intend to hold Boeing accountable,” said CEO Ben Minicucci. . “While there is work to be done, we have the utmost confidence that with FAA oversight and our own oversight, Boeing will emerge as a better, safer manufacturer with improved quality processes. There is.”
McCreary, 33, still has doubts. But even if her next flight was scheduled in her Max 9, she thought now might be as good a time as any other. “There’s been a lot of scrutiny on airplanes lately, so I feel like statistically it might be the safest thing to do,” she said.
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