The timeline for the Boeing 737 Max's return to service continues
to get longer as airline executives worry the grounding will have even more
long-lasting implications on the perception of the industry's safety and
regulatory framework.
After the aircraft type was
grounded in March following
two deadly crashes, airlines that have 737 Max planes in their fleets had hoped
the fix, which involves flight-control software linked to those crashes, would
have the aircraft back in the air by the end of the summer. That now seems highly
unlikely, with the U.S. FAA reporting last week the
detection of another safety issue on the aircraft that needs addressing. That
could take as long as three months to fix, according to Bloomberg. The earliest
Boeing could conduct a certification test at this point is July 8, according to
the International Air Transport Association.
Southwest Airlines, which has the largest 737 Max fleet among U.S. carriers,
last week announced it had extended its removal of the aircraft type from its
schedule through Oct. 1, which removes about 150 daily flights from of its
schedule. United Airlines and American Airlines, which have a smaller fleet of
the aircraft type, have both cancelled flights on the aircraft through Sept. 3.
American CEO Doug Parker was quoted by CNBC as saying another month's pushback
was possible and would be announced over the next few weeks if so.
Speaking last month at IATA's Annual General Meeting in Seoul, airline chief
executives said the potential impact went much deeper than the Max itself.
For one, the FAA was the last of major aviation regulatory authorities
to ground the aircraft type. If it were to approve the Max for use but other
regulatory authorities around the world did not, using the planes would be
an operational challenge, especially for non-U.S. carriers that use them on
international flights. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong, whose regional
wing SilkAir currently has six of the aircraft grounded, said regulatory
approval from Singapore alone—where, of course, there are no domestic
flights—would be only a small step. "I would need approval from countries that we intend to operate the Max
in, and that adds another dimension of complexity," he said. "Beyond
that, we'll need pilots to communicate and be able to assess the situation, and
we need the public confidence."
Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr said he expected to see the Max flying on
domestic U.S. routes while still not approved on all international routes,
which he said would add to passenger uncertainty around the aircraft. "This is a global industry, and it needs global trust," Spohr said.
"We have global passengers, so how do you explain to passengers that the
airplane is safe in some parts of the world and supposedly not safe somewhere
else?"
A Global Business Travel Association poll early last month of 155 of its buyers revealed some concern already brewing from buyers and business travelers alike. About 60 percent said their employees had
expressed concern about flying on Max aircraft for business travel, and about
the same percentage of travel buyers were concerned about their travelers' safety.
Two-thirds expected their travelers would be at least somewhat likely
to change travel plans to avoid the aircraft type.
The trust issues could extend well beyond the Max aircraft or Boeing itself,
JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes said. "If you take a step back and look at the huge advances that have been made
over the last few decades in aviation safety, that has happened because of a
very deliberate strategy of regulators, manufacturers and operators all working
together. My biggest concern is that people start to
question the whole regulatory framework, which I think has been largely successful
over the last 20 to 30 years in promoting a safer industry."
IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said last month global
regulators will have to work closely together to alleviate those concerns "We trust in the FAA, in its role as the certifying regulator, to ensure
the aircraft's safe return to service, and we respect the duty of regulators
around the world to make independent decisions on the FAA's
recommendations," he said. "At the same time, aviation in a globally
integrated system that relies on global standards, including mutual
recognition, trust and reciprocity among safety regulators. Aviation cannot
function efficiently without this coordinated effort, and restoring public
confidence demands it."