Dirhams & Dollars

Headlines this week have been dominated by news of the tragic crash of an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, killing all 157 people onboard. Coming so soon on the heels of the Lion Air crash in Indonesia, which similarly involved a new Boeing 737 MAX 8, the disaster has led to aviation authorities and airlines across the world grounding the model until it can be confirmed that there is indeed an issue with the aircraft. On today’s episode, we look at whether the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is safe to travel. We ask whether aviation authorities have been right to ground the plane so quickly, before details of Sunday’s accident are fully understood. We also discuss why the US federal aviation authority (FAA) has yet to close its airspace to the jet. The FAA is standing its ground in the face of mounting pressure, as aviation authorities around the world continue to forbid the plane from flying in their countries. Could it be to do with government dysfunction? Or is it simply the correct approach? We also look at the d