Boeing under scanner as Ethiopian Airlines crash comes 4 months after a similar Lion Air tragedy

Trade

• Watchlist
• Portfolio
• Message
• Set Alert

 

 

Choose Stock Exchange: BSE LIVE NSE LIVE

26 Aug, 2025 12:21

Volume

Todays L/H

More

×

The grounding of Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft by several operators, following the Ethiopian Airlines crash on March 10 that led to the death of 157 passengers and crew, has again put the world's largest aerospace company under the scanner.

A Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed six minutes after take-off from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa. It was en route to Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

While Ethiopian Airlines has grounded its fleet of four 737 Max 8 planes, Cayman Airlines has also suspended operations of its Max 8 aircraft. In a similar step, China has asked all its airlines to operate these aircraft only after "confirming relevant measures to effectively ensure flight safety."

In India, Jet Airways has a fleet of five 737 Max 8 aircraft, and SpiceJet 13. While Jet is said to be "awaiting the investigation report of the unfortunate incident before taking any steps," there was no communication from SpiceJet.

Industry regulator DGCA may release a public notice on the aircraft later on March 11.

The urgent response to the crash reflects the unease among airline regarding the aircraft, which was also involved in the Lion Air crash in October last year. Twelve minutes after taking off from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta, the plane crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 on board. Also read: US lawsuit blames Lion Air crash on Boeing's 'dangerous' airplane

An iffy bestseller The Lion Air tragedy and raised doubts over the design of the Boeing aircraft, which has been a bestselling product since its first flight in 2016. According to a tweet on Sunday by Flightradar24, the popular flight tracker, there were 145 of the 737 Max 8 active in the air.

In India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet have ordered 225 and 100 of these planes, respectively, which promise to be fuel efficient and less polluting.

In the Lion Air crash, investigations showed that a malfunction in one of the sensors lead to the aircraft computer to automatically initiated a dive. There were concerns that pilots weren't trained for this. The fears have resurfaced again.

Flightradar24, in a tweet, said that the Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302, was unstable after take off. Instead of gaining height, as is the norm after a take off, the plane supposedly descended twice.

This is similar to the flight of Lion Air flight 610. Investigations showed that eight minutes into the flight, the plane descended to about 5,000 fleet and its altitude fluctuated.

Read: Boeing eyes Lion Air crash software upgrade in 6-8 weeks

In its first comment after the Sunday crash, Boeing said it is 'ready to support' the Ethiopian Airlines team. "A Boeing technical team is prepared to provide technical assistance at the request and under the direction of the US National Transportation Safety Board."

A Jet Airways spokesperson said, "Jet Airways is deeply saddened by the unfortunate accident involving a B737 MAX aircraft of Ethiopian Airways. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the bereaved families and friends and all our colleagues from the aviation community impacted by this tragedy."

"Jet Airways has 5 B737 MAX in its fleet but is currently not flying any of these aircraft. The airline is in contact with the manufacturer and the regulator in context of this development and remains committed to implementing all directives or advisories that may be published by those authorized," the spokesperson said.

Industry observers though warn that it is too early to connect the two tragedies, and conclusions should be drawn only after investigations.