Boeing’s 737 MAX 8

11 March, 2019

The tragic accident in Ethiopia on 10-Mar-2019 again involved one of Boeing's new MAX 8s, the same aircraft involved in Lion Air's accident in 2018. We will never speculate on the cause of aircraft accidents.

But the fact that two new aircraft of this type have crashed in the first two years of its operation means there will automatically be careful attention paid by regulatory authorities to issues around the aircraft's technology. If nothing else this will be needed, to provide a factual basis to assuage customer concerns swirling around the media.

According to the CAPA Fleet Database there are 378 737MAX 8s in operation. The greatest concentration is in North America, where there are 112 in operation.

The various Chinese airlines together have 96 MAX 8s in operation, with another 63 dispersed among various airlines in the Asia Pacific region. According to news outlet Caijing, China's CAAC has reportedly asked Chinese airlines to ground their MAX 8s temporarily.

In 2019, there is an additional 611 MAX 8s slated for delivery around the world.