November 28, 2022.   The MAX is Back.

Boeing 737s are everywhere. Notice, though, the ones with the particularly ugly winglets and the scalloped engine cowlings. Those are the 737 MAX variants.

If that name rings a bell, it should. The MAX was the jet involved in two notorious crashes — the Ethiopian and Lion Air disasters — after which it spent two years on FAA-mandated hiatus, during which its twice deadly stall-avoidance system was redesigned, and pilot training protocols modified. The jet re-entered service in November, 2020, and has since settled in without any hiccups. And without much notice, for that matter.

The purpose of this post is to gloat: I told you so. If only I had a dollar for every time someone insisted the jet would never be back. Or, that if it did return, passengers would refuse to step aboard. Which was nonsense from the start — that second part especially. The vexed legacies of the Comet, the DC-10, and even the 787 attest to the flying public’s willingness to forgive, forget, or both. This was no different. As I predicted would happen, that earlier anxiety has evaporated, and nobody, best I can tell, is acting afraid.

Which is fair enough. There’s no need to avoid the MAX.

I’m no fan of 737s, but my reasons aren’t related to safety. I flew a MAX from Miami to Medellin, Colombia, about a year ago. What concerned me wasn’t the possibility of crashing, but discovering that American Airlines has no entertainment screens even in first class!

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