Home » Why travelers are refusing to fly with Boeing

Why travelers are refusing to fly with Boeing

by Marko Florentino
0 comment


Some fliers are nervous to travel aboard Boeing aircraft following a stream of flight problems in the last three months say they try to book flights on other planes while others say they’ve turned to prayer or medications to get through their trips.

The shift in response toward Boeing took off in January after a panel plugging the space reserved for an unused emergency door blew off an Alaska Airlines jetliner 16,000 feet above Oregon. While pilots landed the Boeing 737 Max 9 safely, the incident has left a mark on many travelers.

“I just can’t step on that plane,” Leila Amineddoleh told NBC News, referring to Boeing aircraft. “Even if the chance of getting hurt on a Boeing flight, even with all these incidents, is slim.”

The last deadly crash involving a U.S. airliner occurred in February 2009 in an industry that saw 9.6 million flights last year. More Americans die in motor-vehicle crashes each year, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Even with the data, concerns about air safety – especially with Boeing planes – continue to be at the forefront of travelers’ minds.


 section of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 that is missing
In January, the emergency door of a Boeing plane blew off mid-flight. AP

Another traveler, Stephanie Walls, told the news outlet that her normal ritual of praying during air travel wasn’t enough to stop her from re-booking a flight so she could travel on an Airbus plane instead of a Boeing aircraft.

Meanwhile, Adrian Rojas told the outlet that his fear of flying prompted him to go to therapy, and when he does fly, he takes anti-anxiety medication. He said he is avoiding the entire Boeing Max series of planes and re-books flights accordingly.

“I just know that it’s something I would be thinking about a lot right as I get on the plane, so I’m just trying to limit that for my mental health,” Rojas said.


The missing emergency door of Alaska Airlines N704AL
Fliers have resorted to prayer, therapy, and anti-anxiety medication to alleviate their fears about flying on a Boeing plane. AFP via Getty Images

Since the Alaska Airlines incident, travel search engine Kayak has observed a significant shift in user behavior, reporting a staggering 15-fold increase in the usage of its aircraft filter in January. The data highlights a heightened desire to know the exact model of aircraft prior to booking their flights.

Earlier this month, the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into the incident. The FBI also began notifying passengers that they may be a “possible victim of a crime.”

Boeing recently failed 33 aspects of a federal audit with a total of 97 points of noncompliance, according to The New York Times. The company passed 56 points of the audit.

The company’s CEO David Calhoun wrote in a memo to employees in late January that “this increased scrutiny – whether from ourselves, from our regulator, or from others – will make us better.”



Source link

You may also like

Leave a Comment

NEWS CONEXION puts at your disposal the widest variety of global information with the main media and international information networks that publish all universal events: news, scientific, financial, technological, sports, academic, cultural, artistic, radio TV. In addition, civic citizen journalism, connections for social inclusion, international tourism, agriculture; and beyond what your imagination wants to know

RESIENT

FEATURED

                                                                                                                                                                        2024 Copyright All Right Reserved.  @markoflorentino