(TAN): Boeing has quietly launched the 737 MAX 10 aircraft at the company’s Renton, Washington factory even as the MAX planes remain grounded following two crashes that left 346 people dead in total.
The aircraft involved in the crashes was the 737 MAX 8, a smaller variant of the MAX 10.
The low-key launch took place in the midst of mostly company employees. In a statement, Mark Jenks, vice president and general manager of the 737 programme, said, “This team’s relentless focus on safety and quality shows the commitment we have to our airline customers and every person who flies on a Boeing airplane.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is yet to be convinced that the 737 MAX planes are safe enough to fly. Even if the US body approves it, commercial MAX planes are not expected to take to the skies before March 2020.
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The Airbus A321 XLR, which accepted orders worth USD 5.7 billion at the recent Dubai Airshow, is the main competitor of the MAX 10.
According to Boeing, the 737 MAX 10 currently has more than 550 orders and commitments from more than 20 customers around the globe.
Despite all the damage control, however rosy a picture Boeing tries to paint, the MAX brand is currently under a big black cloud. It may not be easy for airlines to completely junk the planes for numerous reasons but more than that, will flyers feel safe getting on the plane even if the FAA clears it?
What choice will airlines have if flyers reject the aircraft?
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Back in April, President Donald Trump had tweeted advising Boeing to rebrand the plan with new name. That, like pretty much everything else he says, received a lot of online trolling and negative media.
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In his trademark style, Trump had written, “What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?”
Boeing should wait and watch for few more months and if things don’t seem to be getting any better with the MAX, perhaps it should consider the President’s advice.
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