United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Boeing accused of building ‘flying coffins’
US lawmakers told Boeing it put profits before lives when it rushed to get clearance for its 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which suffered two fatal crashes, killing 346 people, before being grounded earlier this year.
Questioning Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg, the US Senate Commerce Committee said the aircraft manufacturer had engaged ‘in a pattern of deliberate concealment’ to get FAA approval for the MAX jet.
Lawmakers said Boeing was aware of problems with the aircraft’s automated control system MCAS, which has since been identified as a factor in both the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines crashes.
Senator Roger Wicker said messages between Boeing staff during certification that raised issues in the MCAS test system betrayed ‘a disturbing level of casualness and flippancy’.
Senator Richard Blumenthal said Boeing had rushed the approval process and engaged in a ‘pattern of deliberate concealment’.
He suggested that pilots had been misled and Boeing had, in effect, designed a ‘flying coffin’.
Muilenburg admitted the firm had made ‘mistakes’. He told the committee: "We have learned from both accidents and identified changes that need to be made," he said.
Senators also criticised the regulatory process, saying there was excessive ‘cosiness’ between Boeing and safety officials at the FAA.
Blumenthal described the US certification process as ‘absolutely broken’.
Muilenburg said the aircraft manufacturer supported ‘strong oversight’ but declined to support increasing the authority of the FAA.
Since the grounding of the 737 MAX aircraft in March, Boeing has been working on a software fix. It has also overhauled its review procedures.
But senators said the continued delays in re-certification cast serious doubt on the initial approval.
They blamed Boeing for not sharing more information about the MCAS system with regulators and pilots.
Senator Maria Cantwell said the crashes should spur broader scrutiny of automated systems, which are becoming more common – not just in aircraft but also in cars and other forms of transport.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Foreign Office issues travel advisory for winter sun destinations