While that’s good news for carriers that have ordered almost 5,000 of the fuel-sipping jetliners, a big question remains: Will travelers be nervous about flying on an airplane involved in two highly publicized fatal crashes?
Airlines with the 737 Max must convince many customers that the aircraft has been appropriately modified, tested, and certified safe. A monthly survey by UBS of 1,000 people in the U.S. finds that among those who plan to fly, about 15% say they’ll never travel on a Max. The same survey, however, finds that around 65% say they never or seldom check the type of aircraft they’re flying on.
Airlines may take comfort in the poll result, “but that has changed in the short term,” says Michael Gordon, chief executive officer of Group Gordon, which specializes in crisis communications. “It’s not that people care per se which plane they’re flying on, they just want to know if they’re flying on the 737 Max or not. I think consumers will think twice before flying on that plane.”
Regulators grounded the Max on March 13 following crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia that killed 346 people when the plane’s electronic controls pushed it into steep dives after receiving erroneous sensor data. British tabloids dubbed it the “DEATH JET,” and Boeing on Oct. 18 was further beset by reports that one of its test pilots had difficulties handling the Max during a simulator exercise in 2016. Boeing replaced Kevin McAllister, its commercial planes chief, on Oct. 22.
Denne historien er fra October 28, 2019-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.
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Denne historien er fra October 28, 2019-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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