Four Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft stand on the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, United States, on March 13. The US has followed countries around the world in grounding all Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8.
A number of countries have decided to ground Boeing 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 aircraft following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines plane near Addis Ababa on Sunday.
United States President Donald Trump announced the grounding of the aircraft on Wednesday.
The Ethiopian Airlines aircraft crashed only five months after Lion Air’s crash involving a similar Boeing aircraft. This raises the suspicion that there is a connection between the two crashes, considering there were similarities in several aspects, such as their movement when falling and the problems faced by the crew. However, some warn that it is too early to draw conclusions about the security system being behind both crashes.
The flying ban was imposed pending further explanation and direction from the national aviation authority, as well as from the FAA and from Boeing as the manufacturer. In this uncertain situation, the decision to ground 11 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in Indonesia was hailed as the right move by the National Transportation Safety Committee (Kompas, 14/3).
However, the Transportation Ministry and airline technicians would be well advised to continue to conduct studies on various systems of the Boeing 737 MAX during the flying ban.
In Indonesia, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft is operated by Lion Air (10) and Garuda (1). The airlines may need to rearrange their flight schedules in response to the grounding, but that would certainly not be as difficult as for Southwest Airlines in the US, which operates 34 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, or China Southern, which operates 24. It is expected that the Indonesian airlines can handle the decrease in the number of aircraft in their fleets.
AFP/GETTY IMAGES/RALPH FRESO
Four Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft stand on the tarmac at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, United States, on March 13. The US has followed countries around the world in grounding all Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft following the crash of an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX 8.
Whatever the problem is, we support the 737 MAX 8 flight ban, because passenger safety is of paramount importance in air transportation. Indeed, growing competition in the industry, the emergence of new, more fuel-efficient aircraft with more practical flight control and easier maintenance is good news for airlines. This explains why the 737 MAX, the latest generation of the Boeing 737, is quite popular among global airline operators. By the end of January, orders of the aircraft, which carries a price tag of US$121.6 million per unit, reached 4,661 aircraft.
Boeing as the maker certainly does not want to be outdone by Airbus in the development of new passenger jets. The 737 MAX aircraft was specifically designed to compete with a similar type Airbus jet, the Airbus 320 NEO. The new aircraft is equipped with sophisticated control systems.
However, we know that in every new product development, there are many technological challenges to overcome. Some are relatively easy to handle, others need time because of their complexity. Therefore, the investigation and fixing of problems will take time.
Beyond the technical challenges, the basic premise has not changed, namely that aircraft used for commercial transportation should have proven airworthiness, so that they are safe both for passengers and operators.
