Since the beginning of this year, Boeing aircraft have frequently exposed quality problems, including a series of alarming accidents such as fires in the air, falling tires, and missing hatches. Boeing's crisis is affecting the entire aviation industry. According to surveys, as passengers become more and more concerned about such incidents, their trust in traveling by air continues to decline, which means that they are more likely to choose other modes of travel in the future.
According to a survey of American consumers conducted by Harris Poll in February, only 69% of respondents believed that airplanes are safer than other long-distance means of transportation. In the past, almost everyone believed that airplanes were the safest form of long-distance means of transportation.
The good news, though, is that most travelers remain confident in their airlines' ability to get them safely to their destination. 86% of respondents said they still trust flights to protect the safety of passengers during flights, while 73% said they trust aircraft to be thoroughly inspected before flying.
Three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are aware of at least one recent major aircraft safety incident; two-thirds believe news reports of such incidents raise safety concerns about air travel.
However, a recent series of disturbing aviation accidents has still had some impact on traveler behavior. 48% of respondents said they are now likely to pay attention to relevant safety information (safety manuals, emergency handling methods) on upcoming flights; 47% of respondents said they are now more likely to wear seat belts when not needed; 45% of respondents said they are now more likely to pay attention to activities before a plane takes off.
Just last week, on a Boeing plane bound for New Zealand, a seat failure pushed a pilot into the console, causing the plane to suddenly plummet and all passengers to be thrown to the ceiling. Fortunately, only more than 50 people were injured in the end.
The survey also showed that 30% to 40% of respondents said they were likely to consider making choices about their seats on the plane, the airline they booked the tickets on, and the type of aircraft they took.
Boeing's reputation badly damaged
In the context of people raising doubts about Boeing, the polling consulting agency MorningConsult also conducted a survey to understand how the public's trust in Boeing has changed.
The survey found that respondents' net trust in Boeing fell by 14 percentage points from the end of last year to February 28. Net trust is the measure of how much a respondent trusts a brand or institution minus how much they distrust that brand or institution.
The biggest change was among business travelers, with a 26-point difference between the two surveys, indicating a sharp decline in their trust in Boeing.
According to Morning Consult, this is partly due to business travelers historically trusting Boeing more than other groups, meaning there is more room for downside.
In addition to the negative impact on passengers, the FAA's investigation into Boeing has led to a reduction in the number of aircraft delivered by the company. Many airlines are running low on capacity, further impacting their financial performance and share price performance.
Southwest Airlines Co., one of Boeing's major customers, said it plans to reduce the number of flights this year, suspend most hiring and reassess its financial budget and spending plans to cope with an uncertain future.
United Airlines has reportedly told Boeing not to build any more 737 Max 10 aircraft for it and is considering swapping some of its 277 737 Max 10 orders for A321 aircraft from Boeing rival Airbus until Boeing can successfully pass its long-delayed certification.
Airbus Chief Executive Guillaume Faury said on Tuesday he was not happy about the technical problems plaguing U.S. rival Boeing Co because they were tarnishing the image of the entire aerospace industry, which needs to put quality and safety first.