Is the Boeing Max 737 Safe to Fly?

by | Nov 18, 2021 | Blog | 0 comments

The blog is intended for educational purposes only and is not to be considered legal advice.  

The story of the Boeing Max 737 began as a promising commercial aircraft, consisting of four models in 2016.  The interior of these aircraft was redesigned, with improved aerodynamics, improved efficiency, and more powerful engines for transatlantic flights.  Following two tragic crashes in 2018 and 2019, the Boeing Max 737 was grounded indefinitely.  Two years after it was banned, the Max 737 was cleared by the FAA to return to the air.  Is the Boeing Max 737 safe to fly?

Aviation safety is directed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It collaborates with several multi-agency technical operations and advisory boards to evaluate, test, and determine an aircraft’s airworthiness and pilot certification.  Following the tragic loss of 346 lives aboard Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 203, the FAA diligently identified and corrected the safety issues that led to these fatal crashes. According to Boeing, the 737 Max underwent a software redesign so, “It no longer automatically points the plane’s nose down repeatedly, and doesn’t override commands from the pilot.” Pilots are now required to undergo more comprehensive training, equipping them to all functions of the aircraft’s systems to operate the 737 Max, which was not initially required. 

In more recent news, nearly 100, 737 Max aircraft were grounded because of a potential electrical problem, which the FAA states have been fixed, and again lifted the grounding of these aircraft. So, how do we know if the Boeing Max 737 is safe to fly?  Generally speaking, there have been many flight hours and passengers aboard the 737 Max aircraft since being cleared to fly.  Following intense scrutiny by both the public and government agencies, the FAA has endorsed and cleared this aircraft to return to all aspects of commercial use, stating it is safe to fly.

Sources: faa.gov

united.gov