Should We Still Trust A Boeing Plane?

In recent months, Boeing, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, has been under the spotlight due to a string of mechanical issues.

In January, a Boeing 737 Max on a flight from Portland to Ontario in California had its emergency door plug blow off mid-flight, while in February, pilots reported a Boeing 737 Max having jammed flight controls as the plane landed in New Jersey.

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The string of incidents has raised concerns among travellers about the safety of flying in Boeing planes. 

Should I be worried about flying on a Boeing plane? How many of the issues that we’ve seen recently, have been outside of the airline’s control? 

On today’s The Briefing episode, we talked to Professor Doug Drury, Head of Aviation at Central Queensland University, on whether we should still trust a Boeing plane? 

Professor Drury offers a reassuring perspective, asserting that despite the recent incidents, travellers should not be unduly concerned about flying in Boeing aircraft. 

He emphasised that many of the issues witnessed are not directly attributable to Boeing but rather stem from a myriad of external factors, including maintenance oversights and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“You have to remember that a lot of these airplanes have been parked for about two years due to the COVID pandemic,” Professor Drury said.

“When they (airplanes) came back it takes a lot of time and a lot of energy and manpower or people power I should say because we do have female maintenance folks as well to bring these airplanes back up to speed. Just for one airplane it might take a month or more,” he said.

The return to service of these grounded planes necessitates meticulous maintenance efforts, which have been strained due to shortages of skilled personnel.

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