Boeing Max 8 Flying: What Airlines, Agencies Are Telling Customers
Photo Credit: Airlines, travel management companies, travel advisors, and travel websites are seeing increased concern from travelers who may not want to fly on Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft. Southwest Airlines
Skift Take
A range of differing responses to the Ethiopian Air disaster involving a Boeing 737 Max 8 is making it hard for travel advisors.
As the list of countries banning the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft grows and more airlines suspend services, more travelers are getting nervous about flying on planes similar to the one which crashed on Sunday near Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, killing all 157 people aboard.
That anxiety is putting travel management companies into a difficult position of whether to advise clients against flying on Max 8 jets, with no solid conclusions yet on what actually caused the crash.
The Ethiopian Airlines crash was the second fatal accident involving the Max model in five months, with a Lion Air aircraft going down on Oct. 29 off the coast of Indonesia, also shortly after takeoff.
Global corporate travel management company CWT is hearing from some clients that are thinking of temporarily restricting travel on the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.
“This could potentially result in travelers being left with fewer flight options and susceptible to higher airfares, depending on the route." Julian Wal
