Boeing 737 crash impact
Monday 11 March 2019
AS CHINA suspends all domestic flights of the Boeing 737 Max 8 in the wake of the Ethiopian Air crash over the weekend, Dr Neil Robinson, tourism and travel expert from the University of Salford Business School, comments on what the impact may be.
He said: “In the US, Southwest Airlines flies 31 of the aircraft, while American Airlines and Air Canada each have 24 in their fleet. If they decide to ground their fleets then the knock effects will grow.
“If these big carriers suspend use of the 737 until the all clear is given some flights might be suspended in the short to medium term and routes may be unavailable, promoting passengers to seek alternative routes, possibly we will see price hikes as well. Generally speaking the 737 is a popular aircraft for tourism.
“The Boeing plays a key role in tourism aviation and its suspension could see a decline in Boeing operating profits.
“While Boeing planes have a good safety record generally, such recent events in Ethiopia could see tourism operators reluctant to place new orders with Boeing until the cause of the crash is identified.”
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Sam Wood
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