Fears around the safety of Boeing’s aircraft have resurfaced following the fatal crash of an Air India flight.
The Boeing 787-8 plane carrying 242 people, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad Airport, India.
It’s currently unclear what caused the crash, but at least 105 deaths have been recorded; 53 British nationals, 169 Indian nationals, 7 Portuguese passengers and 1 Canadian were onboard the flight to London Gatwick.
This is the first ever hull loss for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a model that first began commercial service in 2011. Up until now, the plane had recorded no fatal accident of any kind.
But the latest tragedy in a series of recent incidents adds to concerns over the safety of the company’s aircraft, with some travellers uncertain about flying on Boeing-manufactured planes.
Which airlines use Boeing planes?
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a wide-body, long-range aircraft designed for international flights. Up until now, it had recorded no fatalities, according to the Aviation Safety Network.
Elsewhere from the manufacturer, the Boeing 737 is among the most commonly used models worldwide. According to aviation data firm Cirium, the 737-8 variant in particular accounts for around 4,400, or 15%, of the 28,000 passenger planes globally.
Nearly 200 airlines use the 737, including budget carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet, alongside major US firms including American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
The age of this fleet ranges from five years to more than 27 years old. And there have been a number of fatal crashes in its decades-long history, with the Aviation Safety Network recording 529 incidents, including 234 hull losses.
Lion Air Flight 610 – a 737 Max 8 model which crashed shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018, killing all 189 people on board – is considered its deadliest accident in terms of fatalities.
How are Boeing planes checked for safety?
All planes, including Boeing, undergo comprehensive safety checks involving pre-flight inspections, maintenance programs and regulatory oversight.
These include daily and pre-flight inspections by engineers and pilots, and scheduled maintenance checks (known as A, B, C and D checks), which involve regularly checking machines and replacing parts to maintain performance, increase efficiency and ensure reliability.
Aircraft must also be certified as airworthy by regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration in the US and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Europe.
In recent years, Boeing has been scrutinised for alleged lapses in safety culture, particularly its 737 MAX programme. Whistleblowers and former employees have previously made claims around rushed production timelines and ignored red flags.
Concerns then resurfaced last year when a panel blew off a Boeing 737 Max 9 mid-flight. In response, the FAA grounded all similar aircraft and stopped Boeing from increasing 737 Max production until major quality improvements were made.
Are plane crashes on the rise?
The short answer is no. Even though alarming and tragic cases have been making headlines, travel via commercial aircraft remains one of the safest forms of travel.
Data consistently shows a low risk of accidents compared to other modes of travel, like cars, with a 2017 Harvard study placing the odds of dying in a plane crash at one in 11 million – compared to one in 5,000 for a car crash.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual safety report, published in February, the industry has also shown improvement.
The accident rate last year was better than the five-year average, but worse than the best year recorded in 2023.
‘Even with recent high-profile aviation accidents, it is important to remember that accidents are extremely rare,’ the report said.
‘There were 40.6 million flights in 2024 and seven fatal accidents. Moreover, the long-term story of aviation safety is one of continuous improvement.
‘A decade ago, the five-year average (2011-2015) was one accident for every 456,000 flights. Today, the five-year average (2020-2024) is one accident for every 810,000 flights. That improvement is because we know that every fatality is one too many.’
Do Boeings crash more than other planes?
The two largest commercial aircraft manufacturers are Boeing and Airbus. Both manufacturers are considered safe according to various metrics. However, statistically, Airbus has a slightly better record in recent years, especially in the US.
Turbli notes: ‘Both companies produce safe aircraft, and the safety record of any airline is more dependent on maintenance practices, pilot training, and regulatory oversight than on the aircraft manufacturer.’
Metro has contacted Boeing for comment.
Timeline of Boeing incidents
A full timeline of Boeing can be found here. Metro has rounded up some of the airline’s major incidents.
October 2018 – Lion Air crash
Lion Air flight 610 was set to fly from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta, to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang, in Indonesia, on October 29, 2018.
However, the plane crashed into the Java Sea 13 minutes after takeoff, killing all 189 passengers and crew on board.
This was the first major accident involving a new 737 Max and had the highest death toll of any accident or incident involving a 737-series aircraft.
March 2019 – Ethiopian Airlines crash
Ethiopian Airlines flight 302 was due to fly from Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 10, 2019.
Six minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed near the town of Bishoftu, killing all 157 people on board.
It is the deadliest aircraft incident to occur in Ethiopia, as well as the airline’s deadliest accident to date.
That month, China’s aviation regulator was the first in the world to ground the Max, followed by others, including the US.
January 2024 – Alaskan Air incident
On January 5, a plane was forced to conduct an emergency landing after a panel blowout on a brand-new 737 Max 9 plane.
The FAA grounded certain Max 9 aircraft for safety checks.
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