Medan, Indonesia – For Neuis Marfuah, news of the recent near-disaster involving a 737 Max plane flown by Alaska Airlines brought back painful memories and anger. Her daughter, 23-year-old Vivian Hasna Afifa, was killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia on October 29, 2018, which claimed the lives of all 189 people on board.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on Thursday that it had approved the return of the Boeing 737 Max 9 to service after more than 170 aircraft were grounded following a panel on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 blowing out at 14,000 feet with 177 people on board.
Marfuah expressed her frustration at the decision, saying, “It should have been enough after the events in Indonesia and Ethiopia to decide to stop operating the Max 737 aircraft once and for all.”
Following the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes, a US congressional report revealed that Boeing operated a “culture of concealment” and that the 737 Max planes were “marred by technical design failures”, including issues with the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS). These design failures led to the tragic crashes.
The recent near-miss involving Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, where the panel that blew off had been previously removed, repaired, and reattached by Boeing mechanics, has further shaken the trust in Boeing’s aircraft. Additionally, an in-house inspection found that “many” of the 737 Max 9 aircraft had loose bolts, according to Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci.
Boeing has faced a loss in market capitalization and erosion of trust, with many expressing doubt about the safety of the 737 Max planes. Boeing has stated that they will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with the FAA and take action to strengthen safety and quality.
However, there is growing concern about the safety and reliability of Boeing’s aircraft, with calls for more rigorous measures to certify the planes before they are allowed to be sold and used commercially. The recent incidents have reinforced the need for Boeing to engineer its planes with the utmost care, as the safety of passengers and crew is at stake.