Boeing Should Thank Beijing for Grounding the 737 Max
China’s swift action stemmed damage to the company’s reputation among passengers and airlines, not to mention its business on the mainland.
The first Boeing completed in China was a 737 Max.
Photographer: STR/AFP/Getty ImagesChina didn't waste any time reacting to the tragic crash of a Boeing Co. 737 Max operated by Ethiopian Airlines Group on Sunday. Less than 24 hours after the accident, it became the first country to ground the plane. In the hours and days that followed, Ethiopia, Europe and -- finally, on Wednesday -- the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. followed Beijing’s lead. The grounding of Boeing's most profitable plane is now global.
As evidence accumulates that the Ethiopian disaster bears similarities to the crash of a 737 Max operated by Indonesia's Lion Air in November, a flying ban now seems like the obvious move. Nonetheless, Boeing, which at first resisted such a drastic step, owes China a debt of gratitude. Beijing’s early action likely sped up the process and ensured that Boeing's reputation wasn't further damaged in the eyes of aviation regulators, airlines and -- most crucially -- the rapidly expanding flying public in China, one of the planemaker’s biggest and most important markets.