In the aftermath of yet another Boeing 737 Max crisis, in which an Alaska Airlines flight suffered explosive decompression in January, many passengers are hesitating to fly on the beleaguered aircraft. Duc Vu, a 41-year-old management consultant from Philadelphia, was already nervous about the 737 Max 8 following its two crashes in 2019. The most recent incident has only confirmed his reservations about the plane. Boeing has promised to enhance transparency and reinforce safety measures, but for Vu and others, it may be too little, too late.
Not alone in his apprehensions, Vu has joined the chorus of travelers expressing their reluctance to board Boeing 737 Max planes on social media. Travel booking giant Kayak, recognizing the growing concern, has added filters to its flight search page that allow passengers to exclude certain aircraft types from their itineraries.
However, deciphering the aircraft type when selecting a flight is challenging for most travelers. Ultimately, it is the airlines, not the passengers, who are Boeing’s clients, leaving few options for passengers to choose their planes.
Despite the unease among passengers, experts stress that there is no reason to panic. Aviation in the U.S. has an impressive safety track record, and airlines continue to express confidence in Boeing even as regulators heighten scrutiny of the company’s production processes.
The apprehension near Boeing 737 Max is not unwarranted. In a short span, after two deadly crashes that took the lives of 346 people, the fleet was grounded for nearly two years due to a software issue. While the aircraft was back in operation, it experienced minimal safety concerns until January 5, when an emergency exit cover malfunctioned during an Alaska Airlines flight. This led to the grounding of some Boeing 737 Max jets – the Max 9 variants – until the cause of the issue was identified. Many affected Max jets have since returned to service after undergoing necessary inspections.
While some passengers like Casey McCreary express anxiety about Boeing planes, the majority seem to have confidence, including airlines like Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, the main operators of the Max 9 in the U.S. Both airlines stated in public statements that their inspections of the Max 9 revealed similar manufacturing defects in other planes affected by the grounding, yet they insisted that the aircraft model remains extremely safe.
Despite the persisting doubts, airlines remain steadfast in their support for Boeing. United Airlines’ CEO Scott Kirby and Alaska Airlines’ CEO Ben Minicucci expressed the belief in Boeing’s commitment to rectifying the issues.
McCreary, echoing the sentiments of many, acknowledges her doubts but sees the recent scrutiny on Boeing as a reason to believe the Max 9 is possibly the safest plane to fly on.
While passenger concerns continue to loom, and airlines remain confident in the safety of the Boeing 737 Max, the aircraft’s future will rely on Boeing’s ability to meet heightened regulatory standards and deliver on its promise to enhance safety measures.
