After 19 months, Boeing Co. is closer than ever to having its troubled 737 MAX aircraft re-certified to take to the air again.
Grounded since March of 2019, the 737 MAX was involved in two crashes on two separate airlines that killed 346 passengers and crew.
After numerous tests, including a practice flight by the head of the Federal Aviation Administration himself and a promise by American Airlines to put the plane back into its rotation as early as Christmas-time once it is approved, Boeing appears to have satisfied all the conditions to restore the plane to service.
Almost all.
Boeing has one big hurdle left to clear, and it might just be the most difficult - mastering public perception and the court of public opinion. Because after all, this is coming down to one big question for fliers:
Would YOU get on a 737 MAX when they return?
That will be the eternal question when the world's most popular plane returns. To its credit, American has already said it'll give passengers notification of what kind of equipment will be used. That gives fliers plenty of time to decide what they want to do.
Me?
I've tried to remain pragmatic about it. Boeing made mistakes, to be sure. The significance of 346 dead can never be overlooked in the name of however many repairs took place, especially to the software system that caused a pair of problems - one of which was found almost a year after the March 2019 grounding.
But this is also the company that put the United States into space. Space, for goodness sake. The last great frontier for exploration.
This is the company that has been the most innovative in the airline industry with its constant designs and adaptations.
This is a company that is now more than 100 years old, founded just a few years after the Wright Brothers worked their magic on a North Carolina beach.
That has to count for something although, again, to reiterate, that is not to discount the deaths of 346 people. Saying 'Boeing' is like saying Coca-Cola, Colgate, Ford, IBM and Nike. It is one of America's most respected and revered companies.
I am confident Boeing, no matter how much time and money it was forced to spend, has solved the problem. Yes, I would get back on a 737 MAX. Perhaps my faith is stronger than my realism at the moment, or perhaps my hubris won't allow me to think otherwise. But I truly and overwhelmingly believe that Boeing has these problems fixed.
Some don't.
Some won't get back on a 737 MAX, or any other airplane for that matter, for a long time. They are wary of the accidents or frightened that the plane doesn't offer enough safety and health protocols at this time. And that's fair.
But what's also fair is allowing a 104-year old company the latitude to solve these issues by placing your confidence in their abilities. Countless pilots have. Men who have walked on the moon have. Rich Thomaselli will.
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