GOL Linhas Aereas, Brazilian low-cost carrier, is set to become the first airline in the world to fly commercial passengers on a Boeing 737 MAX, as the airline scheduled flights on December 9. The accidents that have been haven’t had a pattern, like for the McDonnel Douglas MD11 that was difficult to land. People who say automation is a problem clearly don't have a clue because planes have been heavily automated for decades with the flight engineer being automated, autopilot, and the entire Airbus line being fly-by-wire, the successful 777 being fly-by-wire, etc. The Boeing 737 Max returned to the skies in the US last month, and now the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has given the model permission to fly to and from EU countries. The investigation by the United States House of Representatives severely blames the planemaker and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their role in the crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft that led to the death of 346 people. 5 hours ago, - Boeing 737 Max is safe to fly again, Europe's aviation regulator says Published Fri, Oct 16 2020 5:21 AM EDT Updated Fri, Oct 16 2020 3:25 PM EDT Sam Shead @Sam_L_Shead So far there has been no resistance from the public to flying on the MAX and a number of airlines — such as Alaska Airlines and Ryanair — have re-ordered the aircraft. AirlineRatings’ thoughts on the MH370 tragedy aired on the BBC. Boeing 737 Next Generation (737NG) is the overarching name given to a fleet of aircraft that began production in 1991. Cookies are very small text files that are stored on your computer when you visit some websites. In an open letter, the airline’s chief executive officer (CEO) Gary Kelly commented that “there is nothing more sacred to me than the Safety of our Customers and Employees.”. The Senate and the President remain. Is the anger towards Boeing justified? 2020. “A horrific culmination of a series of faulty technical assumptions by Boeing’s engineers, a lack of transparency on the part of Boeing’s management, and grossly insufficient oversight by the FAA,” described the two fatal accidents US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure’s report. “On behalf of the families of the victims of both crashes, as well as anyone who steps on a plane expecting to arrive at their destination safely, we are making this report public to put a spotlight not only on the broken safety culture at Boeing but also the gaps in the regulatory system at the FAA that allowed this fatally-flawed plane into service,” commented chairman of the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio, as the committee released a report titled “The Design, Development & Certification of the Boeing 737 MAX” on September 16, 2020. If passengers are shying away from flying due to safety concerns, the foundation and, with it, the whole house of cards collapses. Focused on developments in European aviation news. A New Kind of Plane. Following the release into service by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) outlined its own process for the Boeing 737 MAX to return. But how safe is it to fly on a 737 MAX? For example, the former MD President and CEO Harry Stonecipher became the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Boeing following the merger and spent two years as a President and the CEO at the manufacturer between 2003 and 2005. While the FAA felt confident in releasing the aircraft back into service, some are not that confident in the 737 MAX. A Boeing 737 MAX 8 in Boeing’s house colors (Image courtesy of Boeing) With around 350 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in service worldwide, a grounding of the fleet pending investigation would wreak havoc with airline schedules, and have severe financial consequences. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has confirmed that the Boeing 737 MAX is safe to return to service in Europe. note] Orders are based,” read the appeal, filed on December 4, 2020. The Sriwijaya Air loss — a 737-500 — that claimed 62 lives was the fourth fatal accident involving a 737 in the past 12 months. The sheer number of 737s and A320s, and the number of flights they perform every day — typically five or six sectors — mean they are in the news a great deal more than their more glamorous and much larger cousins the 747 and A380. The US and Brazil have lifted the grounding order and Europe and Canada are expected to follow later this month. They say history is the best teacher, but what kind of lessons can be taken from the Boeing 737 MAX historical data? Southwest Airlines (LUV), the airline which currently has the largest number of Boeing 737 MAX delivered and undelivered, yet built aircraft, also has reiterated its support for the aircraft. Fully managed roadshow services and recruitment events. The NGs have dramatically reduced that to just 0.18 per one million flights, compared to a 747-400 which has a hull loss rate of 1.15. READ: Qatar Airways A350 the ultimate Airbus aircraft. And they underlined that this took place while Boeing and the FAA were in the process of recertifying that the airplane was now safe to fly. After all, there were many derivatives that MD developed over the years, including the aforementioned tri-jets and the DC-9 derivatives, including the MD-80 and its update, the MD-90 family. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the American Airlines (A1G) (AAL) flight 191 crash was a result of incorrect maintenance procedures, combined with “the vulnerability of the design of the pylon attach points,” and “deficiencies in FAA surveillance and reporting systems, which failed to detect and prevent the use of improper maintenance procedures.”. Love Switzerland and the DC-3? The two, including many other authorities across the globe, worked for countless hours to ensure that the aircraft is safe to fly once it eventually returns to service. A previous model of the 737 also experienced a similar mix of questionable safety assessment, insufficient pilot training, and automated system malfunction … Its safety record over the 53 years of operation is good, one of the better of airliners that have flown our skies. Image : Andreas Zeitler / Shutterstock.com, EASA drafts 737 MAX return conditions, differences with FAA, American Airlines to operate employee-only flights on 737 MAX, First: GOL to fly passengers on Boeing 737 MAX on December 9, House approves changes in FAA certification after 737 MAX crashes, Congress finds "disturbing" errors in Boeing 737 MAX development. Following the groundings, in-mid March 2019, a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 MAX suffered an in-flight shutdown as it was en route to Victorville Southern California Logistics Airport (VCV) for storage. The next model the 737-300/400/500/600 series was a major upgrade with CFM engines and today that line is called the “classics.”. Boeing's first 737, the 737-100, first flew in 1967, while the lengthened -200 variant entered service in 1968. I will be paying close attention from now on. Hey Boeing I will believe these planes are safe if the whole Board of Boeing and the CEO and top management associates fly around the world on the 737 MAX when they go back into service. The problem for Boeing, and the airlines that operate the 737, is that to the flying public a 737 is a 737. Throughout its short service before the grounding, there had been 17 events related to the aircraft, according to Aviation Safety Network (ASN). Is it safe enough for liftoff? Prior to the flights, Steve Dickson, the administrator of the authority, remarked during a hearing before the US Senate that the un-grounding process was driven by safety and was “not guided by a calendar or schedule.” Later, after flying on one of the test flights, Dickson reiterated that he “liked what he saw.” The administrator also added that the Boeing 737 MAX would be allowed to fly once again when he “was comfortable putting my family on it.”, The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) executive director Patrick Ky has reiterated over the course of the crisis, that the EASA would independently look at some of the aircraft’s characteristics, including the cockpit alert systems. Otherwise you can use this tool to manage. Following the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, experts are concerned about whether the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is safe. Boeing is also making a huge profit from its 737 program. 4 hours ago, - In preparation for the return to service of Boeing 737 MAX, American Airlines plans to offer five flights to nowhere exclusively for employees. Announcing its first flight with the aircraft a day prior, GOL Linhas Aereas once again reiterated the fact that it’s “first priority is always the safety of our customers," at the time stated the Vice President of Operations at the airline Celso Ferrer. Here’s why… Here’s why… When the first 737 MAX crashed — operated by Indonesian low cost carrier Lion Air — in October 2018, public condolences for the 189 passengers and crew on board were soon followed by a multinational investigation. Now, I’m going to avoid this plane for at least a few years before I take a risk. 4. Meanwhile, Brazil’s GOL Linhas Aereas CEO Paulo Kakinoff observed that the airline was “confident that it is one of the safest and most efficient aircraft in the world.” GOL is the first airline to fly the MAX. Will the 737 MAX be safe once it eventually returns to service sometime in December Boeing is hoping its 737 Max jetliner will win approval to return to the skies by the end of the year, after it was grounded following two crashes.But don't expect to fly in one just yet. FlyersRights, a non-profit organization aimed at improving passengers’ rights, filed an appeal with the US Court of Appeals. Cadet training programs for type and non-type rated pilots. Ever since the second fatal crash of the Boeing 737 MAX occurred in Ethiopia in March 2019, the aircraft’s name has hardly left the headlines. Yet, an estimated 60,000 – 70,000 people board approximately 2,000 Boeing 737’s daily — planes that have a proven defect, according to nationally known aviation attorney Arthur … Boeing said all 737 NGs are safe to continue operating as the issue is “completely mitigated by the fan blade inspections. The safety of each upgrade has also improved dramatically up to the MAX. If I see Boeing 737 MAX I will cancel my flight and find another airline or model. The NGs were a major upgrade aerodynamically and performance-wise and can seat up to 220 passengers and fly over 5,500km. European Union regulators are prepared to let Boeing's grounded 737 Max planes return to service in the bloc before the end of the year. With the Boeing 737 MAX coming back to service, there are a lot of questions. Undoubtedly, any negative press about Boeing 737 will cause some unease which could see Boeing lose orders. 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