The Boeing Co. 737 Max crash in Ethiopia looks increasingly likely to hit the planemaker’s future orders as mounting safety concerns prompt airlines to reconsider plans to purchase the jetliner.
Kenya Airways Plc is reevaluating proposals to buy the latest version of the single-aisle workhorse and could switch to Airbus SE’s rival A320 or upgauge to Boeing’s larger 787 Dreamliner, Chairman Michael Joseph said by email.
That’s as Indonesia’s Lion Air firms up moves to drop a $22 billion order for the 737 in favor of the Airbus model, according to a person with knowledge of the plan. One of the carrier’s Max jets crashed on Oct. 29, souring relations with Boeing after the manufacturer pointed to maintenance issues and human error as the underlying cause, even though the plane’s pilots had been battling a computerized system that took control following a sensor malfunction.
