Ethiopian Airline crash: Aviation advocates call for FAA to ground Boeing jets

Aviation experts, consumer advocates and politicians on both sides of the aisle are calling for the Federal Aviation Administration and the airlines that operate the Boeing 737 Max aircraft in the U.S. to ground the jets after an Ethiopian Airlines crash that killed all 157 people on board.

This most recent crash of the new Boeing series is the second since the October Lion Air flight accident in Indonesia that killed all 189 people on board.

Some industry leaders and consumer advocates say the flights should be grounded until a thorough investigation of the two crashes is completed. Several countries and Norwegian Airlines ordered that the planes be grounded until further notice.

The European Aviation Safety Agency, the lead European regulator, went further on Tuesday afternoon and announced that it would suspend all flight operations of the aircraft.

That has led some to become increasingly critical of the FAA for not taking more concrete action.

"There’s been very little attention that has been paid in our country to the large loss of life in both of these accidents," said James Hall, a transportation safety expert and former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. "Had these accidents occurred in the United States, would we still be discussing this or would there be more effective action from our regulator and one of the largest air manufacturers in the world?"

The FAA said in its official statement regarding the "continued operational safety activity" of the Boeing 737 Max 8 and Max 9 that there was not enough data to come to any strong conclusions. They maintain that U.S. airlines can still fly the jet model.

"External reports are drawing similarities between this accident and the Lion Air Flight 610 accident on October 29, 2018," the FAA said in a statement on Monday. "However, this investigation has just begun and to date we have not been provided data to draw any conclusions or take any actions."

FAA did not elaborate further about their continued confidence in the jet series.

The FAA reported that there are 74 of the jet series flying in the U.S. and nearly 400 operational across the globe. Two of the largest U.S. carriers, American and Southwest, operate dozens of the aircraft.

The two airliners maintain that the jet series is safe, but a lack of transparency around their convictions has drawn criticism from consumer advocates and politicians.

"Telling the public that the airplane is airworthy, as the FAA has done, without offering further explanation, does far too little to relieve the uncertainty and fear created by these two tragedies," said William McGee, aviation adviser for Consumer Reports. "While the investigators continue their work, the government and airlines should put safety first."

The Association of Flight Attendants also called for the FAA to ground the aircraft, though the union's president, Sara Nelson, added that the public should not jump to conclusions.

"This is about public confidence in the safety of air travel," Nelson said. "The United States has the safest aviation system in the world, but Americans are looking for leadership in this time of uncertainty. The FAA must act decisively to restore the public faith in the system."

There was bipartisan agreement on this issue as 2020 presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. and Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah have said the FAA should reverse their decision and ground the planes until consumer safety concerns are addressed.

"Today, immediately, the FAA needs to get these planes out of the sky," Warren said in a statement that noted that the jet series is a major driver of Boeing profits.

Hall, who said he would not step foot onto one of the jets, emphasized that the agency should be concerned because they are the ones who certified that the aircraft series as safe.

Safety is key to credibility in the aviation world and is the reason for the industries continued success, Hall said, noting that there had been zero accidents for numerous years in the United States.

“They ought to take note that one of the most respected aviation authorities in the world — the U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority — is recommending the aircraft be grounded," Hall added. "Your reputation is something you ought to protect."