Boeing was criticised for failing for react more decisively following the second deadly crash in less than five months involving its 737 MAX aircraft. (AFP/Jason Redmond) NEW YORK: After a second air disaster involving the 737 MAX 8, aviation giant Boeing swung into crisis mode, losing US$25 billion of market capitalisation and suffering a severe hit to its reputation. That was made worse by the company's response, according to industry experts, who described their efforts variously as "terrible," and "rough." The tragedy of the Ethiopian Airlines flight on Sunday, in which all 157 people on board perished, renewed fears about the safety of the plane, and led to it being grounded worldwide - although the US decision was not made for three days. "It's been a rough week for them," said Matt Yemma, a crisis communication specialist at Peaks Strategies, based in Connecticut. Boeing - which in the first days after the accident said the MAX was reliable and safe - could have announced it … [Read more...] about 737 MAX disaster pushes Boeing into crisis mode
Air disasters
Lion Air crash casts spotlight on Indonesia’s aviation safety record
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s aviation safety record has come under the spotlight again after a Lion Air flight with 189 people on board crashed into the sea off Indonesia’s island of Java on Monday morning (Oct 29). Lion Air, a low-cost Indonesian airline, has been involved in a number of incidents in recent years. (Photo: AFP/Adek Berry) Flight JT610 was en route to Pangkal Pinang from Jakarta when it lost contact 13 minutes after takeoff. Indonesia, which relies heavily on air transport to connect its thousands of islands, has seen several fatal crashes in recent years. Last year the Indonesian air traffic controllers association revealed that the rate of take-off and landings in Jakarta allowed by state-run air navigation company AirNav was more than the airport could handle, increasing the chance of accidents. The country's carriers have also in the past faced years-long bans from entering European Union and US airspace over their safety records. Recently, a … [Read more...] about Lion Air crash casts spotlight on Indonesia’s aviation safety record
Hà Nội predicts ten potential disasters
Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s People’s Committee has predicted ten risks that could result in disasters including those related to fire, pollution, transport, health and nuclear power plants. A project on the management and mitigation of risks facing the city has been approved by local authorities so that they can prepare responsive plans. Among the risks determined in the project was radioactive dust from three nuclear power plants located in the south of China threatens to pollute the air and water sources in the city. The above mentioned plants include a 1,000-megawatt plant in Guangxi, a 600-megawatt plant in Guangdong and a 650-megawatt unit of the plant located in Hainan. All were put into operation in 2016. The plants are located close to the northern border of Việt Nam. The one in Guangxi is 50km from Móng Cái City in Quảng Ninh Province, and less than 500km from Hà Nội. “Hà Nội … [Read more...] about Hà Nội predicts ten potential disasters
Hanoi names China’s possible radiation leaks among top ‘disaster’ risks
Hanoi authorities have approved a project to mitigate risks that could potentially result in disasters for the Vietnamese capital, including nuclear incidents in China. The radiation risk is the only overseas factor the city is worried about, among 10 potential disaster-inducing risks that it is going to focus on. Hanoi is one of the places in northern Vietnam that would be "seriously affected" if the three nuclear plants in southern China encounter incidents, a document on the project said. "Radioactive dust could spread far and wide, polluting the air and water sources," it said. The city has tasked the Department of Science and Technology with drafting a detailed scenario for tackling radiation leaks and nuclear accidents. The three Chinese nuclear power plants, which went into operation in 2016, stand in Guangxi and Guangdong Provinces and Hainan Island, all close to Vietnam's northern border. The plant in Guangxi is 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Quang Ninh Province, home to the … [Read more...] about Hanoi names China’s possible radiation leaks among top ‘disaster’ risks
257 dead as military plane crashes in Algeria’s worst air disaster
Algeria suffered its deadliest ever air catastrophe on Wednesday (Apr 11) when a military plane crashed after takeoff, killing 257 people on board, mostly army personnel and their family members. Algerian soldiers watch the military plane after it crashed in Boufarik, near the Algerian capital, Algiers on Apr 11, 2018. (Photo source: AP/Anis Belghoul) An AFP photographer at the scene saw the charred wreckage of the plane after it caught fire in a field near the Boufarik airbase, 30 kilometres south of Algiers. Hundreds of ambulances and dozens of fire trucks with sirens wailing rushed to the scene of the crash, in an uninhabited area where one person was injured on the ground by debris. Firefighters extinguished the blaze and security forces set up a cordon to prevent journalists and onlookers from approaching. Witnesses who had been working in nearby fields told AFP that the plane had burst into flames before it hit the ground. The defence ministry said in a statement that … [Read more...] about 257 dead as military plane crashes in Algeria’s worst air disaster