Grounding the 737 Max Eases Turbulence for Airlines
Boeing accidents delayed the entry of more planes that carriers couldn’t fill this year
Boeing 737 Max airplanes have been grounded globally since March.
Photographer: David Ryder/Getty Images
The grounding of Boeing Co.'s 737 Max after a pair of accidents killed 346 people might seem an unmitigated disaster for the world's airline industry. Look at flight data, though, and you can glimpse a grim benefit supporting carriers' bottom lines.
To see why, it’s worth remembering just how crucial the 737 and its arch-rival, the Airbus SE A320, are. Each plane family constitutes about a third of the roughly 24,000-strong global passenger airline fleet. Other aircraft put together – including all wide-body planes like the 747, 787, A330 and A380, turboprops and smaller jets like the Bombardier Inc. CRJ – make up the remaining third. According to Boeing, a 737 takes off or lands somewhere in the world every 1.5 seconds, and there are about 2,800 in the air at any one time.