By now you’ve probably heard about the recent crashes of Lion Air 610 in October 2018 and of Ethiopian flight 302 last Sunday involving the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. There’s a lot of misinformation out there and fear-mongering among news organizations, so I’m here to answer some of your questions and clear up some of the misunderstandings.
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- Lion Airlines
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- Ethiopian Airlines
Should I Fly on Boeing 737 Max Planes?
I’m not a qualified pilot and therefore not in a position to assess the safety of the aircraft in passenger service here or abroad. I, like everyone else, must rely on the government (FAA) for assessments regarding the safety question.
The question has been rendered somewhat moot because on Wednesday President Trump followed the lead of the world’s aviation authorities by issuing an executive order grounding the entire Boeing 737 Max fleet in the United States. This move will impact domestic carriers Southwest (34 planes), United (14 planes) and American Airlines (24 planes) the most since they operate quite a few planes in the new fleet.
I can provide you with some backstory and some additional information about the Boeing 737 Max planes.
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- Southwest Airlines
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- American Airlines
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- United Airlines
What Happened?
Back in October 2018 Lion Air flight 610 went down in the Java Sea just after takeoff from Beirut, Lebanon, and all 189 passengers were lost. This past Sunday, on March 10th, 2019, Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 crashed just after taking off from the capital Addis Ababa, killing all 157 passengers aboard.
Both flights were operating the new Boeing 737 Max 8 planes. Two crashes within five months have passengers, pilots, airlines, and government agencies wondering about the causes.
What Exactly is a Boeing 737 Max Plane?
Boeing 737 Max planes are slightly improved versions of the Boeing 737-7, 737-8, and 737-9 aircraft. You may have flown on the latter if you regularly fly Southwest Airlines. The new Max planes feature quieter cabins, more legroom, fuel efficiencies, and can carry up to 230 passengers. For low cost carriers such as Southwest, this is good news.
If you want to know if you are ever scheduled to fly on a Boeing 737 Max plane, the equipment is designated by the following numbers: 737 Max 7 (B37M), 737 Max 8 (B38M), and 737 Max 9 (B39M).
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- B737M
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- B738M
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- B739M
The cause of Sunday’s tragedy remains undetermined, and the investigation into the Lion Air accident is ongoing. In the end, the decision to fly on the 737 MAX is one you must make for yourself after being informed of all the relevant facts.