Washington – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday urged Boeing Co to fix and “rebrand” its troubled 737 MAX jetliner following two fatal crashes even as U.S. regulators continued to work with the planemaker and airlines regarding the now-grounded aircraft.
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The Federal Aviation Administration has been meeting with representatives from American Airlines Group Inc, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co over the next steps after more than 300 Boeing 737 MAXs were grounded worldwide.
FAA officials have also convened a joint review with aviation regulators from other countries, while federal prosecutors, the U.S. Department of Transportation inspector general’s office and a blue-ribbon panel are reviewing the plane’s certification.
In an early-morning post on Twitter, Trump, who owned the Trump Shuttle airline from 1989 to 1992 and is an aviation enthusiast, weighed in with his own advice.
“What do I know about branding, maybe nothing (but I did become President!), but if I were Boeing, I would FIX the Boeing 737 MAX, add some additional great features, & REBRAND the plane with a new name. No product has suffered like this one. But again, what the hell do I know?” Trump tweeted.
The plane’s grounding has also threatened the U.S. summer travel season, with some airlines removing the 737 from their schedules through August and canceling a number of scheduled flights.
The concept sounds simplistic and meaningless. it was, however, done previously with the DC-10 rebranded essentially into the MD-11.
What really needs to be done might be economically not viable. They need to redesign the 737 with higher wings. This would allow the engines to be in a safe, more balanced location. Changing the location of the wings and their supporting structure means redesigning the entire weight supporting frame, fuel storage and possibly landing gear. While at it, they might make the frame about 6 or 7 inches wider which would make it very preferred by passengers.
To do this it would take years and by that time the market will be saturated. There might not be enough sales to turn a profit.
It is cute when old men comment on the news.