Boeing 737 Max: The Faulty Descendant of The Perfect Legend

A narrow-body ((also known as single-aisle aircraft) is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than 4 metres (13 ft) in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with multiple aisles and a fuselage diameter of more than 5 metres (16 ft), allowing at least seven-abreast seating and often more travel classes.) airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing, the Boeing 737 MAX is one of the best fourth generation aeroplanes among the Boeing 737. The Boeing 737 Max took the place of the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) and the Boeing 737 Max keeps pace with the Airbus A320neo Family(The Airbus A320 family’s aeroplane which has a narrow body).

On August 30, 2011 the Boeing Company announced the new series. The Boeing 737 Max took its maiden flight (first flight) on 29 January 2016 and in March 2017 the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified the Boeing 737 Max. The first delivery of the Boeing 737 MAX 8 took place in May 2017 to Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air) with whom it commenced service on May 22, 2017.

The Boeing 737 Max’s design is so similar to the other Boeing 737’s because it’s design is based on early models of 737’s but with more efficient CFM International LEAP- 1B engines, aerodynamic changes which are more effective against air friction, including distinctive split-tip winglets and airframe modifications.

The 737 MAX series has been offered in four variants, offering 138 to 204 seats in typical two-class configuration, and a range of 3,300 to 3,850 nautical miles (6,110 to 7,130 km). The 737 MAX 7, MAX 8 (including the 200–seat MAX 200), and MAX 9 are intended to replace the 737-700, -800, and -900 respectively, and a further-stretched 737 MAX 10 is available. As of July 2022, the 737 MAX has 4,174 unfilled orders and 863 deliveries.

In spite of all those high technology systems, the Boeing 737 Max 8 suffered from a failure again and again in the Maneuvering Characteristic Augmentation System (MCAS). And this failure was causing two fatal crashes. Totally 346 people died in those fatal crashes and those crashes were Lion Air Flight 610 (29 October 2018) and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 (10 March 2019). After both accidents the Boeing 737 Max was grounded worldwide from March 2019 to November 2020. On 11 March 2019 China, which is the first authority to do this, decided to ground the aircraft. China became a worldwide precedent for grounding the Boeing 737 Max 8, Singapore, India, Turkey, South Korea, the European Union, Australia and Malaysia followed China the next day China’s grounding.

One of the last to ground the Boeing 737 Max 8 was the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The United States Federal Aviation Administration was defending the Boeing 737 Max 8 against groundings by issuing a Continued Airworthiness Notice to operations on 11 March 2019 and they were garnering widespread controversy. With the result of investigations which were made to enlighten the truth, The Boeing 737 Max and of course Boeing Company found fault with covering up the defect and lapses in FAA’s certification of the aircraft for flight (The Boeing 737 MAX was initially certified in 2017 by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)). The Boeing Company had been charged with fraud and they settled to pay penalties and compensation which is over US$2,5 billion.

Under the light of further investigations, a collusion which is between the Boeing Company and the United States Federal Aviation Administration had been revealed on recertification test flights. They also attempted to cover up important information and the Federal Aviation Administration had retaliated against whistleblowers.

Subject to mandated design and training changes, the United States Federal Aviation Administration cleared his name and returned to service on 18 November 2020. Canadian and European authorities only followed in late January 2021, and Chinese authorities followed in early December 2021. Over 180 countries out of 195 had lifted the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max 8’s. More than the 450 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft were ready to deliver in November 2020 but as a result of investigations effects the Boeing Company had hard times to sell those aircrafts which are already made. But in January 2022 the number had decreased to 335 thanks to lifting of the groundings of the Boeing 737 Max 8’s. The Boeing Company guessed that the backlog would be mostly cleared by approximately the end of 2023. As a result of loss of the trust in the Boeing Company and the Boeing 737 Max, the bookings were cancelled and order numbers were reduced by almost 1000.