Originally Posted by
cmd320
I absolutely do not believe that new = better = safer. I would happily fly on a 60 year old 727 today, I wouldn't set foot on a 3 month old 737MAX. What I do believe is that Boeing has stretched an aircraft originally designed to fly 100 people 500-750 miles for far too many years without properly investing in a new product. Now, people are paying the price with their lives.
Quite a few 727s met their demise with catastrophic results - let's face it, both Boeing and Airbus have lost aircraft with a significant loss of lives, although the Airbus losses were more mysterious in nature vs the Boeing losses which have had useful explanations.
Boeing's problem here isn't the 737, it's arrogance. Knowingly approving a design that for safety reasons requires another component, which is sold as a separate upgrade. Knowingly releasing an aircraft to customers with an existing defect without sufficient training. Knowingly hiding the details and pertinent facts of the aircraft's operational status and condition from regulators in every country where it operated.
The 737 is the most successful aircraft ever released to market - only arrogance, hubris, greed and stupidity from a company I highly respected has tarnished the image of what is really a good, solid reliable aircraft. If I had to levy any criticism against the 737, it's the failure of the fuselage design getting a sideways stretch just barely enough to allow for 6 19" wide seats with a little extra aisle space.