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After the death of 157 passengers Sunday, March 10, 2019 in the crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 in Ethiopia, the eyes turn to the American aircraft manufacturer. This crash of the flight Addis Ababa-Nairobi has indeed many similarities with that of the Indonesian company Lion Air, which had 189 dead in October. Involved in both accidents, the newest of Boeing, its flagship model. Several countries, including China, have decided to nail down their own aircraft.
From our correspondent in the United States,
After the disaster of Ethiopian Airlines , several countries ordered their national airline to observe the precautionary principle with the 737 Max: Australia banned it in its airspace, the Argentine company has grounded its models. Boeing shares plunged on Monday, up 13% down on the opening of Wall Street and more than 5% loss at the close.
Among other countries that react, we find Ethiopia of course, but also Indonesia, South Korea and especially China: suspension of all flights until the US authorities and Boeing take measures to " guarantee the safety of flights ".
In its statement, Beijing makes the connection between the two disasters: that of Ethiopian Sunday, but also that of Lion Air last October in Indonesia. Both accidents concern " Boeing 737 Max 8 recently delivered. They occurred during the take-off phase and have similarities, "says the Chinese Aviation Bureau.
FAA gives Boeing until April to modify 737 Max software
China is Boeing's biggest customer. Seventy-seven 737 Max have already been delivered to Chinese companies, and more than 5000 orders have been placed, more than seven years of production for Boeing. To address the concerns, the US authorities are taking action and forcing Boeing to change some features of this aircraft.
The causes of the crash are not yet known, but many point to a possible malfunction of computers on board, which could have stung the plane when it was necessary to correct it. The FAA, the US federal aviation authority, gives Boeing until April at the latest to modify a particular software of the 737 Max: it is a system designed to prevent dropping out.
And yet, for both the Ethiopian and the Indonesian crashes, in both cases the planes nosed and then resumed altitude several times, before crashing to the ground for the first time. one and at sea for the other, six to ten minutes after take-off. And according to experts, two deadly crashes in just five months for the same device model, it is extremely rare.
US authorities still allow Boeing 737 Max to fly
" I have never said that it is not safe to fly on some type of aircraft, but this time I have to do it. I compared the data of the two flights, and I am struck by their similarity, "warned an FAA veteran on CNN, while Boeing will also have to strengthen the training of pilots on 737 Max.
However, the US authorities still allow the Boeing 737 Max to fly, thus taking the opposite of China. In forty years, Washington has only twice decided to nail down the same line of planes. The economic consequences of immobilization would be enormous. First for Boeing, since the 737 is the best-selling aircraft in the world. It is the flagship product of the American manufacturer.
But nailing it to the ground would also be very costly for companies, especially for the Southwest, the low-cost airline that operates the largest number of 737 Max (31 in total). The company is trying to restore a damaged image after two spectacular accidents in 2018, including a deadly one. In full flight, a female passenger had been sucked out of the plane after the explosion of her porthole. It was also a Boeing 737, but older generation.