Lion Air crash aircraft Boeing’s bestseller, ordered for Australia

Virgin Australia is among 100 buyers for the Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft that crashed yesterday, regarded as one of the safest in the world.

A member of the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) inspects debris recovered from near waters where the plane is suspected to have crashed. Picture: AP.

The Lion Air plane that crashed into the Java Sea yesterday with 189 people on board has only been in service for a year and is reportedly Boeing’s fastest selling aircraft in history.

A 24-hour search and rescue effort is underway to recover the crew and passengers believed to have died when the Flight JT610 crashed on Monday, just minutes after takeoff.

The new Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft suddenly dived from a height of 4850 feet into the ocean off Java 13 minutes into its flight, soon after the pilot issued a Mayday call and requested permission to turn back.

Edward Sirait, the budget airline’s chairman, has admitted that the aircraft, which was only months old, had recorded a technical problem on a flight from Bali to Jakarta the previous day, but said it was resolved overnight.

“Engineers in Jakarta received notes and did another repair before it took off,” he said.

The 737 Max 8 entered service last year, and its boast of quieter cabins and more efficient fuel consumption has led to such a rush of orders that Boeing has had trouble filling them in time.

The company has already received 4,700 orders from over 100 airlines around the world including Virgin Australia - which has 40 on order, Ryanair, Indian carrier Jet Airways and Norwegian Air Shuttle. The company says the Max 8 is its fastest selling aircraft on record. Analysts estimate the 737 accounts for as much as 40% of Boeing’s profits.

The plane dived suddenly from 4850 feet.

Lion Air, one of the first airlines to take delivery of the new model, was not grounding its ten similar aircraft, Mr Sirait said.

The 737 Max 8 is regarded as one of the most well made aircraft in the skies and questions will be raised over whether the airline’s maintenance of the plane could be at fault

Boeing shares fell 6.6% after the accident, their sharpest one-day drop since February 2016.

Boeing said it is providing “technical assistance at the request and under the direction of government authorities investigating the accident.” The investigation is at an early stage and authorities have given no indication that an equipment fault led to the accident.

CFM said it is standing by to offer any assistance required by Lion Air, the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation and National Transportation Safety Committee, and the US National Transportation Safety Board.

US aviation regulators will also be closely monitoring the probe, as US airlines are major buyers of the aircraft.

American Airlines Group Inc. has taken deliveries of 15 with 85 more on order. Southwest Airlines Co., had 28 of the 737 Max 8s as of September 30 and orders for 227 more. A spokesman said that fleet remained in operation and that the carrier would monitor findings.

Boeing delivered the first Max ahead of schedule to a Malaysian unit of Lion Air in May 2017.

Boeing said the new plane’s engines and improved aerodynamics could cut fuel consumption by at least 14% compared with prior models, making it particularly attractive to fast-growing low-cost carriers. The Max 8 variant of the 737 also has greater seating capacity than previous models. It can hold up to 210 passengers, compared to 189 on the 737-800.

Lion Air is among the largest customers for the new plane. The Indonesian carrier ordered 201 of the new 737s in 2011, alongside 29 of the existing version in a deal valued at $22 billion.

The crash comes 10 months after pilot fatigue and flight-crew missteps caused a near midair-collision between another Lion Air flight and a Batik Air jetliner near Surabaya, Indonesia. Batik Air is a separate unit of Lion Air’s parent company.

There was no clear indication of what may have caused the latest disaster, but Indonesia has a notoriously poor air safety record.