Boeing urged to drop ''Max'' brand name from grounded 737

Boeing should rename its 737-Max to deflect passengers’ concerns once the grounded jet returns to the skies, according to plane leasing-industry veteran Steven Udvar-Hazy.

Boeing should rename its 737-Max to deflect passengers’ concerns once the grounded jet returns to the skies, according to plane leasing-industry veteran Steven Udvar-Hazy.

The Max brand has been damaged by two fatal crashes last year, and there’s no reason for Boeing to retain it, Mr Udvar-Hazy — the founder and chairman of Air Lease Corporation — said at the Airlines Economics aviation finance conference in Dublin.

“We’ve asked Boeing to get rid of that word, ‘Max’,” Mr Udvar-Hazy said. “I think that word, ‘Max’, should go down in the history books as a bad name for an aircraft.”

Since there’s no reference to the Max brand, as such, in Boeing documentation submitted to regulators, the company can simply market the model according to the numeric variant, such as the 737-8 or 737-10, he said.

Air Lease is one of the biggest customers for the Max, with about 200 ordered.

Renaming the Max will help address public reluctance to fly on the plane, especially in more superstitious markets, according to Mr Udvar-Hazy.

He said airlines are working to understand what sort of customer reluctance, or defections to other models and carriers, they might face, and for how long.

“Is it going to be for two months, six months, is it going to be different in different parts of the world?” Mr Udvar-Hazy asked. “Will people in the US, after a few months, forget about the accidents and say, ‘Oh, it’s just another 737?’ Are there going to be parts of the world where people are, maybe, more superstitious and will it take longer for them to erase that stigma?”

Boeing is working with the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the US, and airline regulators around the world, to re-certify the plane. Airlines expect commercial flights to begin around mid-year.

In June, Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing’s former chief executive, said that he saw no need to drop the Max brand.

That was after US president, Donald Trump, said, on Twitter, in April, that in Boeing’s shoes he’d rename the plane.

Last week, Mr Muilenburg was replaced as CEO by David Calhoun, a General Electric veteran.

Late last week, Boeing said it had identified a new software flaw in the grounded 737-Max that will require additional work, possibly further delaying the plane’s return to service. The company said it alerted the FAA and was notifying customers and its suppliers.

Bloomberg

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

FILE PHOTO The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has cleared the purchase of Goodbody Stockbrokers by AIB END Goodbody Stockbrokers fined over €1.2m by Central Bank over rules breaches
Nottingham City Centre Stock Irish staff at the Body Shop wait for wages as retailer shuts stores in the Republic
Ryanair comments on Norwegian Ryanair boss O'Leary's spat with Transport Minister over Dublin Airport escalates
IE logo
Devices


UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE IRISH EXAMINER FOR TEAMS AND ORGANISATIONS
FIND OUT MORE

The Business Hub
Newsletter

News and analysis on business, money and jobs from Munster and beyond by our expert team of business writers.

Sign up
ie logo
Puzzles Logo

Play digital puzzles like crosswords, sudoku and a variety of word games including the popular Word Wheel

Lunchtime News
Newsletter

Keep up with the stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap.

Sign up
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited