A worker stands on a platform near a Boeing 737 MAX 8 airplane being built for TUI Group at Boeing Co.'s Renton Assembly Plant Wednesday in Renton, Washington. (AP)
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
CIVIL Aviation officials yesterday confirmed the country does not have any Boeing 737 MAX airplanes in its registry following the model’s fatal plane crash in Ethiopia over the weekend.
However, there are MAX 8 planes with routes to the Bahamas operated by Southwest Airlines. According to international reports, flight attendants from Southwest Airlines and ground crews have asked the company to take the airplane model out of service.
Up to press time, more than six countries had moved to ground the model with temporary suspensions as investigations into Sunday’s crash - which claimed the life of 157 passengers - continue.
Seven countries had suspended the whole Boeing 737 MAX range up to press time.
Yesterday, Safety Oversight Manager Juliea Brathwaite-Rolle said it was still too premature to determine the cause of the crash, but noted the Civil Aviation Authority was closely monitoring the incident.
She explained while other countries have taken precautionary measures, the crash investigation was still in its preliminary stages for the American manufactured airplane.
“As it stands right now, everybody is waiting for more information before any decisions are made,” Ms Brathwaite-Rolle said.
According to reports, the new Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane had just taken off from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa when the pilot reported technical problems and asked for permission to turn back. It crashed six minutes after takeoff, and marks the second crash for this model in less than six months.
Last October, 189 people were killed when a new Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX 8 went down over the Java Sea off Indonesia.
In February, Bahamasair commissioned a new Boeing 737-790NG jet, an $11.4m investment with a seating capacity of 138 and a flying range of over five hours. It also seats 18 more seats than its “sister jets”.
The acquisition of the new aircraft brought the fleet count to nine: four jets and five turbo props.
Bahamasair’s Managing Director Tracy Cooper said the national airline does not have the model in question in its fleet.
“The 737 Max are the brand new 737s that are just rolling off of the assembly line and Bahamasair doesn’t have any of those models in its fleet. So consumers do not have anything to worry about,” Mr Cooper said.
The UK, Oman, Singapore, Australia, Ireland, France and Norwegian Airlines have suspended the whole Boeing 737 MAX range, according to CNN.
China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Iceland, Germany and the airlines: TUI Airways, GOL Linhas Aereas, Aeromexico, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Cayman Airways, Comair Airways, Eastar Jet, Jet Airways, Mongolian Airlines, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Lion Air and Silkair have reportedly suspended the MAX 8 model.
Turkey and Poland have suspended the 737 MAX 8 and 9.
Airlines still flying 737 MAX planes include: American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Fiji Airways, Icelandair, Flydubai, Spicejet and WestJet.
Comments
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Hahaha ... as if we were worried that any Bahamian airlines were flying new planes. Southern Air’s planes were hand built by Wilbur and Orville Wright.
Greentea 5 years, 1 month ago
This is a joke right? "New" never means "brand spanking new" in relation to Bahamasair. We shop at AirMax.
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Correct. With Bahamasair, “new” means a newer used plane that is being discarded by a more reliable airline.
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
Most of the thousands of planes in the air right now are over 10 years old and had multiple owners. . .one of the oldest planes in the air is air force one. . . cheaper planes like the ATR 72 are usually brand new. . .they are cheaper! We have the 737: 700 used cost 12 million. . .
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Air Force One is not an aircraft, it is a flight designator code. I’m guessing that the aircraft flying under that code get somewhat better maintenance than Bahamasair or Southern Air.
You suppose the U.S. president’s aircraft has broken seats and missing seat belt buckles? Or cockroach traps in the aisles? Or that the pilots are flying by an iPad clipped to the control panel?
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
If we want to get technical the 747 used by POTUS is not designation code air force one. . .the term air force one refers to the president himself. . .he can get on a piper aztec and that plane becomes air force one! His position of chief of the armed forces designates he is the # person in the air force, army, marines or navy. . .whatever those designated call signs are. . .he is one in that designation!
It is a UN/international call signs designations profile. . .Road traffic in the Bahamas use the UN call sign tango. . .the chief of that department is tango one. . .any car, bicycle or box cart he get in or on becomes tango one. . .the designation is the person. . .not the plane, car or bicycle!! Ask any police you know. . .they will tell you that. . .the person is the call sign. . .not the vehicle!
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Now that we’ve settled that, and you’ve agreed with me, let’s address the issue of “age” of an aircraft. Contrary to what you imply, aircraft are not like humans or dogs, you don’t measure their age by years ... you measure it by flight hours.
Those presidential 747s fly very few hours compared to any commercial craft, which are in the air several hours a day. The presidential planes would be lucky to rack up a few hours a week. Sometimes weeks go by without them flying at all. So, if you wanna measure it by “years,” as you inanely suggested, those presidential 747s in reality are probably about 3 years old.
John 5 years, 1 month ago
ALL of these planes have now been grounded WORLDWIDE as captains have reported having similar experiences in controlling the planes like the ones that crashed. Something to do with the throttle moving into the wrong position and the aircraft's onboard computer system overriding the pilot's instructions during crucial moments of take-off and causing the plane to get unstable and ... So even if Bahamasair did not fly these jets, a decision had to be made if they would be allowed to fly here.
ted4bz 5 years, 1 month ago
Prior to this computer feature how many airplanes in the past have stalled and crashed due to manual takeoff? Perhaps a few, but I don’t imagine many. If they decide to keep this feature apart of the auto takeoff, whether in manual or auto mode pilots should be allowed to leveloff the attitude of the aircraft manually while sill in takeoff before the computer auto features can be fully engaged. They have done this on older aircrafts without hassle, why change from this in the first place. Today, every feature of the aircraft is being automated, but the pilot should be allowed to be more involved in the operation of the aircraft other than a checklist and emergency procedures. This total computer automation system between pilots and machine is very scary.
One 5 years, 1 month ago
Poverty pays off.
licks2 5 years, 1 month ago
I guess so. . . hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
We Bahamians won't miss those new planes. The MAX in their name really stands for 'maximum possible passengers' and has nothing to do with providing 'maximum possible space'. Accordingly the number of seats and seating configuration is such that no Bahama Mama's hips could ever fit in a single seat on one of these new MAX aircraft. LMAO
Clamshell 5 years, 1 month ago
Hahaha ... I dunno, Mudda, I’ve seen a lot of those Bahama Mamas’ hips somehow snuggle into a seat on those flying sausages on Southern Air or Pineapple Air. When they pass you in that skinny li’l aisle, da rub-up is practically obscene ... !!
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 1 month ago
ROWL !
ted4bz 5 years, 1 month ago
The US have finally ordered this model to be grounded, it’s to bad that most of the industry waited on the politics for the safety of human beings . If the US didn’t would the Bahamas have the guts to join the nations doing the moral thing grounding this airliner? Would we have banned the Boeing 727 Max’s from flying into our airspace? I don’t think so, not these political groups profiting more from staying in line and going along to get along by holding on to power, the only way they know how to get rich.
ted4bz 5 years, 1 month ago
737 Max’s that is...
SandyE 5 years, 1 month ago
Hey, I've only seen turbo props. But they must've a couple jets,.
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