Some travelers in New Jersey are expressing concerns about flying in Boeing jetliners following recent flight issues. Social media platform TikTok has seen users posting videos with the caption, “If it’s Boeing, I’m not going.” Concerns have been raised after a panel blew off an Alaska Airlines 737 Max midflight in Oregon in early January. This incident shed light on a series of manufacturing issues faced by Boeing, which includes two fatal crashes involving Max jets in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019.
Leila Amineddoleh, a lawyer in New Jersey, has gone as far as re-booking flights to avoid Boeing aircraft due to quality control incidents. A TikTok user @gracietravels echoed the sentiment, canceling a flight on a Boeing 737-9 Max out of concern. However, some have criticized this approach as an overreaction, highlighting that air travel remains a safe mode of transportation.
Despite concerns, aviation experts emphasize that flying is the safest form of transportation, with statistics showing higher odds of dying in a motor vehicle crash than in a plane crash. While it has been over a decade since the last deadly crash involving a U.S. airliner, safety issues in the aviation industry persist. A recent audit by the Federal Aviation Administration revealed manufacturing quality issues at Boeing and its key supplier.
Boeing CEO, David Calhoun, has acknowledged the challenges and committed to addressing them. Additionally, the U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into the panel blowout incident on the Alaska Airlines plane. It’s important to note that not all flight issues are directly attributable to Boeing, with some incidents being linked to maintenance lapses or errors by pilots and air traffic controllers.
The most concerning aviation incidents involve flight controls, engines, and structural integrity issues. Maintenance responsibility falls on the airlines, with incidents like cracked windshields posing minimal safety threats. Despite the challenges faced by Boeing, many 737 Max jets have returned to service after being grounded temporarily.