Just earlier today, the Federal Aviation Administration gave the green light for Boeing 737 Max to fly again even after a series of unfortunate flight events.
"We've done everything humanly possible to make sure" these types of crashes do not happen again," Steve Dickson said as reported by the BBC. Dickson is a former Air Force pilot who now serves as the Administrator of the FAA.
However, the clearance would not allow the model to return to the sky immediately. Some changes in the wiring and mechanical system and immersive pilot training are required.
Like any other airlines and aircraft companies, the current coronavirus pandemic has hit them hard due to the ongoing travel restriction in most countries in the world.
A Laundry List of Lethal Crashes
Boeing 737 Max has played a part in at least three catastrophes in the global airline industry during the last five years.
In 2018, Indonesian budget airline Lion Air, which operates Boeing 737 Max 8, crashed into the Java sea only 13 minutes after departing Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Jakarta. Flight 610 was heading over to Depati Amir Airport in Pangkal Pinang, Sumatera. 189 people dead.
A year later, on March 10, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed near Bishoftu six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa International Airport. The airline eerily operated the same type of Boeing, and the accident killed 157 people on board. The Ethiopian authority immediately grounded Boeing 737 following the deadly incident.
A series of two fatal incidents involving Boeing 737 led the FAA into banning the airplane from flying. Until today, the grounding started on March 18, 2019, making it the longest-ever in history.
What's Wrong With Boeing 737 Design?
Following the two incidents, reports of mismanagement, lackluster design model, engineering flaws, and oversight lapses have been reported.
"Boeing failed in its design and development of the Max, and the FAA failed in its oversight of Boeing and its certification of the aircraft," the investigation reads.
The report reveals that the series of crashes is a horrendous culmination of 'faulty technical assumptions' by the engineers and the FAA's lack of transparency. Boeing and the FFA have an 'overly close relationship,' which affected obtaining the safety certification.
CEO of Boeing Dennis Muilenburg was fired in the aftermath of two deadly crashes in 2019. Dave Calhoun stepped up as the successor and ensured that the company is thriving to improve the situation.
"It's all about money. They played Russian roulette with people's lives. Nobody should have been on those planes," Debbie Pegram, who lost his son during the Ethiopian Airlines crash, told the BBC.
It's a shame that it took 346 lives for Boeing and the FAA to be more responsible for their endproducts.
