Air Niugini believes in Boeing plan to fix Max

By GYNNIE KERO
AIR Niugini says it is confident any resolution introduced by Boeing will be well and truly incorporated and proven to be effective well before the introduction of the 737 MAX 8 aircraft into the Air Niugini fleet.
The airline was responding to a query from The National on why it would still buy the 737 aircraft from Boeing despite global concerns over safety following two crashes.
In an email response, Air Niugini management said that “the Boeing process, as we understand, is very comprehensive, driven by their enduring values and focus on safety, integrity and quality, a very disciplined approach, taking the time necessary to get it right. We still have 18 months to go before the delivery of our first aircraft, by then the resolutions/recommendations from the investigations are fully incorporated”.
Air Niugini has four B737 MAX 8 jets on order – two scheduled for delivery next year and two in 2021. The MAX is a central part of Boeing’s strategy to compete with European rival Airbus, especially the French company’s A320neo aircraft.
The list price for the 737 MAX 8, a narrow body or single-aisle aircraft, is more than US$120 million (about K400mil), according to Boeing’s website, although airlines often negotiate substantial discounts. These are the same Boeing aircraft that within six months crashed in Indonesia in October and Ethiopia in March, killing a total of 346 passengers.
Last month, managing director Alan Milne said Air Niugini had full confidence in the Boeing product and was looking forward to introducing those aircraft into the Air Niugini fleet.
“As investigations are continuing for both accidents, we cannot comment on the cause,” he said. “However, we will ensure any findings or recommendations are incorporated prior to delivery of our aircraft.”
Boeing has admitted that MAX’s new automated anti-stall system, known as Manoeuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was a major contributing factor to the crashes.
The Wall Street Journal reported on April 9 that Boeing didn’t book any commercial orders for its 737 jetliner last month, the first month without a sale of the aerospace giant’s best-selling aircraft in almost seven years.
The report claims the disclosure highlights the mounting uncertainty among customers, Boeing investors and suppliers about when the new MAX version of the 737 might return to flight.