Boeing: Is it still safe to fly on their planes after a string of high-profile incidents

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery An employee of the National Transportation Safety Board examines the stricken Alaska Airlines plane Miraculously, while various passengers’ possessions also departed the airplane, all 177 passengers and crew remained aboard flight AS1282 until the aircraft landed back at Portland. Yet in January the airline’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, revealed the airline had complained loudly about faults on newly delivered Boeing 737 Max aircraft – including a spanner found under the floor on one jet. “It is not acceptable that aircraft get delivered at less than 100 per cent.” open image in gallery A bouquet of flowers beside debris at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in 2019 Yet Mr O’Leary has been supportive of Boeing’s soon-to-be-outgoing CEO, Dave Calhoun, and is hungry for more of his aircraft. Even after the Alaska Airlines episode, Michael O’Leary said there had been “no pushback” from passengers concerned about flying on Ryanair’s all-Boeing 737 fleet.